Dr. Lonnie
Smith Octet
In the
Beginning, Volumes 1 & 2
Pilgrimage
Recording 002
**** 1/2
Play the
hits! That’s how the cliché goes, right? Everyone’s favorite turbanded master
of the Hammond B3 has played a lot of hits since he named his 1968 Blue Note
debut “Think!” after the Aretha Franklin song from the same year. Smith made a
name for himself in soul-jazz’s heyday covering omnipresent radio hits, putting
his personal stamp on tunes by Blood, Sweat & Tears and Donovan, finally taking
the concept to the extreme with an entire album of Beck songs in 2003. The
closest Smith gets to any pop covers on this album is a sly reference to the
Temptations’ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” in the midst of a solo. Instead, this
twelve track, two-disc set is a reassessment of Smith’s self-penned hits, drawn
from his first few albums and performed with a smoking octet that help to build
a very satisfying retrospective.
There is a
train of thought in the jazz world about artistic integrity and constantly moving
forward that completely abhors the idea of revisiting anything older than an
hour ago and frequently ignores the idea of a paying audience looking for a
good time. The biggest success of this album is that Smith is still moving
forward while keeping the live audience hooting and hollering. This audience’s
energy seems to push the band frequently into quicker tempos and greasier funk
than the original recordings even if some of them, like “Move Your Hand,” were released
as live recordings in the first place.
What Smith
proves with this reflection is that he has still got the spark. These
performances are imbued with an excitement and recklessness. The nearly fifteen
minute long “Mama Wailer/Hola Muñeca” medley burns white hot with Smith midway through
jamming onto a thick, piercing cluster for eight measures as conguero Little Johnny
Rivero propels the insanity further out. “Aw Shucks” hits the other end of the
spectrum, simmering with greasy soul. Guitarist Ed Cherry slices and dices on
one side of the mix while drummer Jonathan Blake keeps the boil perfectly under
control. Through it all the four member horn section offers up a dense but
welcome presence. This is an infectiously joyous recording that proves Smith is
still one of the most vibrant organists on the scene.
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