Ronald Smith

Ronald Smith is best remembered as the pianist who reintroduced the complex, but fantastic compositions of Charles-Valentin Alkan to the world in the 1960s, some 90-120 years after they were first written and 40 years after Alkan's previous great champion, Ferruccio Busoni, had died. Smith received his first piano lessons from his mother and when he entered school, others recognized his talent as well.

This five-disc set, contained in a cardboard sleeve that bundles standard jewel cases, consists of Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes' four albums for Flying Dutchman – Astral Traveling (1973), Cosmic Funk (1974), Expansions (1974), and Visions of a New World (1975) – along with their first for RCA, Reflections of a Golden Dream (1976). Some of the albums were intermittently elusive, at least when it came to the CD format, throughout the years, so this was a convenient – and affordable – way to get them in one shot. However, it went out of print quickly after its 2009 release.

Ronald Muldrow - Yesterdays (1993) {Enja CD 8020-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 343 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 142 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1993 Enja Records | CD 8020-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Guitar / Organ

Guitar Ronald Muldrow's Enja CD is a tribute to the organ trios of the 1960s. While Muldrow mixes together aspects of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green in his style, organist Mel Rhyne (still best known for his recordings with Montgomery) has made a complete comeback in the 1990s. Drummer Victor Campbell is fine in support. Sometimes this group hangs onto a vamp or groove too long and seems content to copy Jimmy Smith's earlier groups but their jams on standards are generally enjoyable.

Lonnie Liston Smith moved from RCA to Columbia with Loveland, an LP that is sleek and commercial but not without heart or creativity. While Loveland fared well among fans of fusion, crossover and R&B, the keyboardist had long since lost the attention of acoustic jazz's hardcore, which asserted that he had turned his back on his roots and was no longer playing jazz. But in fact, jazz is essentially what Smith is playing on Loveland, although it's jazz mixed with soul, funk and pop. "We Can Dream "(which features Donald Smith on vocals) is strictly R&B, but instrumentals like "Sunburst," "Explorations" and "Springtime Magic" are basically an extension of the spiritual post-bop Smith had played with Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Gato Barbieri.