George Smith

George Benson - It's Uptown (1966) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 33} (ft. Dr. Lonnie Smith)
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© 1966, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 33
Jazz / Hard Bop / Jazz Pop / Soul Jazz / Guitar / Organ Hammond B-3

Reissue with the latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". Plus, the CD adds five bonus tracks, including "Sideman", "Minor Chant", and the previously unreleased "J.H. Bossa Nova" and "Clockwise (Alternate Take)".

Now You Can Talk About Me collects mid- and late-period Smith, with the harmonica genius' '60s sides for the microscopic imprint Sotoplay sampled on the first five cuts. The remainder of the album is from a 1982 session for the Murray Brothers label with Rod Piazza behind the board, which produced the Boogie'n with George album. Also included are the previously unreleased "Last Chance" and a powerful instrumental slow-burner. Junior Watson shines on guitar on these tracks and Smith's tone is big, fat, rich, and full of ideas galore on tunes like "Bad Start," "Astatic Stomp," "Sunbird," and the title track. But Smith's use of a chromatic harp will strike most blues mavens as something unique and out of the ordinary, as he tackles such standards as "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "Peg o' My Heart" with considerable élan, imparting both with a bluesy feel that Jerry Murad & the Harmonicats could only envision. If you like great blues harmonica playing, you're going to love Now You Can Talk About Me. Add Smith's name to the list of all-time greats near the top with this one.

The music of the Raga Bop Trio is an organic blend of jazz, rock, funk, afro-caribbean and Indian classical music. In this music there is the strong influence of western harmony and melody as well as U.S. grooves and Euro-jazz atmospheric feels. From the Indian side, George Brooks brings his expertise in north Indian Hindustani music and Prasanna - being from Chennai, India - is an expert in south Indian Carnatic music. I grew up with the U.S. jazz/groove concept and starting in 2002 I’ve incorporated north and south Indian rhythms into my playing. For me, the distinctive quality of the Raga Bop Trio is that the writing and playing employ a seamless amalgamation of all the individual components.

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith with Orange Wave Electric, an all-star electric band including guitarists Nels Cline, Brandon Ross and Lamar Smith; bassists Bill Laswell and Melvin Gibbs; electronic musician Hardedge; percussionist Mauro Refosco; and drummer Pheeroan akLaff.

Moonlight in Vermont is a 1956 album by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith, featuring tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. Titled for Smith’s breakthrough hit song, it was the No.1 Jazz Album for 1956. It was popularly and critically well received and has come to be regarded as an important album in Smith’s discography, in the cool jazz genre and in the evolution of jazz guitar. Notable songs on the album, which reveal the influence of Smith’s experiences with the NBC Studio Orchestra, and as a multi-instrument musician, include the title track and the original composition “Jaguar”. The title track, singled out for its virtuosity, was a highly influential rendition of a jazz standard that secured Smith’s position in the public eye…

Lonnie Liston Smith was 32 when, in 1973, he finally got around to recording his first album as a leader, Astral Traveling. By that time, the pianist/keyboardist had a great deal of sideman experience under his belt, and this superb debut made it clear that former employers like Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, and Betty Carter had taught him well. One hears a lot of Sanders, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner influence on Astral Traveling; Smith obviously shares their passion for all things spiritual. Nonetheless, this LP leaves no doubt that the improviser is very much his own man and has a wealth of brilliant ideas of his own; thankfully, he has a cohesive band to help him carry them out.

Lonnie Smith - Afro-Desia (1975) {P-Vine Records Japan PCD-18728}
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© 1975, 2013 P-Vine Records | PCD-18728
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Fusion

Hopefully this is is not your first sample of Mr. Smith's incredible skills on the keys. Having many other choices for the palatte, I'd recommend his earlier works as a start. If this is your introductory taste, then you're probably unsure of where to place the priority in your future purchases of Lonnie's music. Afrodesia was not my initial introduction, but was my first purchase of his, and I was unsure exactly what to think.