Once upon a time there was a thing called “concerts” at a place called “jazz clubs”. Who knew that this gig back in 2017 of B3 legend Lonnie Smith with his core team of Jonathan Kreisberg/g and Johnathan Blake/dr along with guests Robin Eubanks/tb, Jason Marshall/bs, John Ellis/ts, Alicia Olatuja/voc and Sean Jones/tp would be of such historical significance, particularly with the ringer of a guest Iggy Pop sitting in for a couple of tunes for the 75 year old Hammond-meister.
Who knew that Iggy could mix a voice of Lou Reed and Boz Scaggs for a rich soulful take of “Why Can’t We Live Together” and a boogalooing “Sunshine Superman” that start and conclude the album? This is a meeting that deserves a deeper and fuller examination in the future. Meanwhile, Olatuja is soulful on the gospel themed “Pilgrimage” while Ellis preaches it with the horns on the funky soul backbeaten by Blake on “Track 9”. Smith mixes sounds of Dodger Stadium and the local skating rink on the simmering blues of “Too Damn Hot” and bops the blues with Ellis in a Tina Brooks mood on “Bright Eyes.” Toe tapping delights.