B3 Meister Dr. Lonnie Smith stretches out a bit on this wide ranging session of originals and covers. Smith sounds fresher than ever, teaming with a clever mix of Jonathan Kreisberg/g, John Ellis/reeds, the two trumpets of Maurice Brown and Keyon Harrold and the stampeding pair of drummers Johnathan Blake and Joe Dyson.
The regular band is able to deliver some slick bebop with Kriesberg delivering some nifty work on “Straight No Chaser,” and the teams flexibility is displayed with a luminous intro to an eventually driving read of “My Favorite Things.” The horns get a chance out front and Smith takes to the background on the wildly exciting and thrilling “Africa Suite” that gives hints of Eric Dolphy’s arrangement of “Africa.” Tenor saxist Joe Lovano comes in for a couple songs, most notably on a return to his ’75 debut as a sideman under the good doctor for a hip and funky read of “Afrodesia.” Most interesting is bringing in hip hop jazzer Robert Glasper who adds piano and a “What It Is” disco attitude on “Play It Back.”
The B3 sounds fresher than ever here, and Smith is still miles ahead of other men of the Leslie Amps.
Blue Note Record