Lonnie Smith

Dr. Lonnie Smith's "Mama Wailer" is one of the quintessential sides issued by Creed Taylor's CTI/Kudu imprint. Uncharacteristically, Smith played clavinet as well as organ on this set, and arranged all but one track. The rest of the band was comprised of Billy Cobham, Ron Carter, Chuck Rainey, Grover Washington, Jr., Airto, Jimmy Ponder, George Davis, and others.

Dr. Lonnie Smith, legendary Hammond B-3 organ master, is set to release his first Blue Note album in 45 years. Special guests incl. Robert Glasper & Joe Lovano. Smith first made a name for himself in the late 1960s as a sideman with saxophonist Lou Donaldson on albums including "Alligator Bogaloo" & soon after as a leader with his own soul-jazz classics including "Think!" & "Turning Point".

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Dr. Lonnie Smith is an unparalleled musician, composer, performer and recording artist. An authentic master and guru of the Hammond B-3 organ for over five decades, he has been featured on over seventy albums, and has recorded and performed with a virtual "Who's Who" of the greatest jazz, blues and R&B giants in the industry. Since leaving the Blue Note stable in the '70s, Dr. Smith has recorded for a slew of record labels, ascending the charts many times. The resurrection of Lonnie Smith continues with this exciting mini-survey of the Jimi Hendrix legacy. This time, the material allows Smith's crackling, tightly knit collaborators, John Abercrombie and Marvin "Smitty" Smith.

This isn't the first time Lonnie Smith has released an album dedicated to guitar great Jimi Hendrix. As with Purple Haze, guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith backed up Smith for his first tip of the hat to Hendrix on Foxy Lady. It was so successful Smith went forward with a new tribute - Purple Haze.

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Dr. Lonnie Smith is an unparalleled musician, composer, performer and recording artist. An authentic master and guru of the Hammond B-3 organ for over five decades, he has been featured on over seventy albums, and has recorded and performed with a virtual "Who’s Who" of the greatest jazz, blues and R&B giants in the industry. His unpredictable, insatiable musical taste illustrates that no genre is safe, as Lonnie has recorded everything from covers of the Beatles, the Stylistics and the Eurythmics, to tribute albums of Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane and Beck–all by employing ensembles ranging from a trio to a fifteen-piece big band. Moreover, many of Doc’s recent compositions reflect dramatic ethereal qualities and orchestration that elicit movie scores or soundtracks.

Breathe captures the Hammond B-3 organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith during his 75th birthday run at the Jazz Standard in NYC in 2017, the same week he recorded his acclaimed trio album All In My Mind.

Hammond B-3 organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith has announced a January 12 release for All in My Mind, a spirited live trio album that the NEA Jazz Master recorded during his 75th birthday celebration at the Jazz Standard in New York City this past summer. The album is the follow-up to his acclaimed 2016 release Evolution, which marked Smith’s return to Blue Note Records where he first made a name for himself with a run of classic soul jazz albums between 1968-70.

"Alligator Bogaloo" is Lou Donaldson’s 1967 Blue Note classic. Melvin Lastie, Sr., Lonnie Smith, George Benson and Leo Morris join Donaldson for this undeniable gem. The album is an exhilarating blend of hard bop with soulful jazz. It reached #3 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums and includes the massive hits “Alligator Bogaloo” and “Aw Shucks”.