Dr. LONNIE SMITH - Jungle Soul (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Lonnie Smith cut Boogaloo to Beck in 2003 he made a comeback, though he was never gone in the first place. That record's deeply grooving, funky soul-jazz cut to the chase in a way many jazz organ records hadn't by taking the Blue Note aesthetic of turning the pop tunes of the day -- even those as esoteric as Beck Hansen's -- and turning them into vehicles for jazz improvisation. On Jungle Soul, the great organist and his quartet -- Peter Bernstein on guitar, drummer and percussionist Allison Miller, and rhythm guitarist/producer Matt Balitsaris -- tackle some jazz standards -- "Bemsha Swing," "Willow Weep for Me," and Eddie Harris' bona fide soul-jazz classic "Freedom Jazz Dancer" -- and place them against Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man," and a handful of Smith originals and come up with a stunner. As the band digs deep into funky twists and turns on the Gaye number, they come out all sleek and smoky on "Simone," carrying the cut in a minor groove. The title cut is a Smith tune that swaggers from East to West with an African folk melody held inside a shimmering soul context. The layered percussion in the band's read of Harris' classic keeps the edges and angles of the original, while lending a finger-popping, booty-shaking strut to its backbeat. The interplay between Bernstein and Smith is taut, and full of playful asides. The strange modal guitar part Bernstein plays on "Bemsha Swing" is in stark contrast to Smith's for the note head, but it gives the entire track a late-night quality that's a bit more contemplative and moody than Monk's signature version. But it works beautifully. In sum, Jungle Soul is among the finer post-1970 records that Smith has cut, and this band is one of those intuitive, tight, and instinctive quartet's that understands their leader's every move.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Trouble Man 5:06
Marvin Gaye
2     Simone 6:45
3     Jungle Soul 6:23
4     Willow Weep for Me 7:44
5     Freedom Jazz Dance 6:09
Eddie Harris
6     Blue Moment 8:39
7     Witch Doctor 9:55
Lonny Gasperini
8     Bemsha Swing 6:22
9     Zimbabwe 6:11
10     Jungle Wisdom 4:32
Credits :
Drums – Allison Miller
Guitar – Matt Balitsaris (faixas: 9,10), Peter Bernstein
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith

Dr. LONNIE SMITH - Rise Up! (2009) Mp3

Who says you have to slow down as you get older? The honorable B-3 master, Dr. Lonnie Smith, has been on a renaissance tear since the beginning of the 21st century. Rise Up! is the fifth new recording since 2000, and there have been a number of reissues of his older work to boot. Given that some artists issue a record a year, this may not seem like such a terrific feat -- but appearances are deceiving. Smith recorded only 13 albums between 1966 and 1996, so five in nine years is actually prolific. It's not only the quantity, however, it's the consistency of the quality of the records Smith has been releasing that is outstanding, and Rise Up! is no exception.
Ever since 2000's Turbanator and 2003's Boogaloo to Beck: A Tribute, Smith has packed his records with covers and originals that accent the "soul" in the deep, wide tradition of soul-jazz. Sure, he's funky, he's got chops, grooves, and tricks, and he's surrounded himself with compelling musicians from Jimmy Ponder to David "Fathead" Newman to great effect. Since 2003 he's been working with guitarist and producer Matt Balitsaris and the results have been, and remain, electrifying. This set, with guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and drummer Herlin Riley -- with extra help on a couple of cuts from Balitsaris and percussionist James Shipp -- is one of his most realized, funky, and resonant dates yet. The set jumps off with Smith's original "Matterapat,"showcasing the smoking Latin percussion of Shipp and taut, off-kilter breaks from Riley, the front line is all knotty soul and blues. The theme is greasy and in the pocket; Harrison's solo moves effortlessly from post-bop to soul. The cover of the Beatles' "Come Together" that follows is even nastier, with Smith's below-the-basement vocal growl on the first verse all but indecipherable except as a snarling rap. It's another instrument in this band's arsenal. This is a slow bump and funky grind with a big payoff. "Pilgrimage" begins as a ballad but quickly asserts itself as a cooker thanks to Riley playing counterpoint breaks to Smith's B-3. Other covers that appear -- and are reinvented in Smith's musical vocabulary -- are the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," which commences, seemingly, as an astral afterthought but finds a deep percussive bottom end and a spooky articulation of the melody that is all rhythm based. One can guarantee that the version of "People Make the World Go 'Round" found here is unlike any other that exists. It's the longest cut on the set and builds itself right from a lithe, breezy funk groove with a poppin' set of rimshot breakbeats from Riley. Harrison is the perfect foil for Smith because of his lyric sensibility; it is the perfect counter to the percussive groove quotient of Smith. The solos here are wonderfully complex and sophisticated and the use of harmonic extension in the ensemble's reading is pure magic. The set ends on an atmospheric blues tip with Smith's "Voodoo Doll," where Harrison's alto plays it straight out of the noir-ish dark and into the shadows where traces of light emerge. Smith's comping and eventually structural form for the tune transforms it into a swirling, shimmering heat with Bernstein's guitar erecting a pulsing bridge for Riley. It's a killer way to end a record. For B-3 fans, Rise Up! is nothing but solid in terms of tunes, arrangements, and heat.
Who says you have to slow down as you get older? The honorable B-3 master, Dr. Lonnie Smith, has been on a renaissance tear since the beginning of the 21st century. Rise Up! is the fifth new recording since 2000, and there have been a number of reissues of his older work to boot. Given that some artists issue a record a year, this may not seem like such a terrific feat -- but appearances are deceiving. Smith recorded only 13 albums between 1966 and 1996, so five in nine years is actually prolific. It's not only the quantity, however, it's the consistency of the quality of the records Smith has been releasing that is outstanding, and Rise Up! is no exception.
Ever since 2000's Turbanator and 2003's Boogaloo to Beck: A Tribute, Smith has packed his records with covers and originals that accent the "soul" in the deep, wide tradition of soul-jazz. Sure, he's funky, he's got chops, grooves, and tricks, and he's surrounded himself with compelling musicians from Jimmy Ponder to David "Fathead" Newman to great effect. Since 2003 he's been working with guitarist and producer Matt Balitsaris and the results have been, and remain, electrifying. This set, with guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and drummer Herlin Riley -- with extra help on a couple of cuts from Balitsaris and percussionist James Shipp -- is one of his most realized, funky, and resonant dates yet. The set jumps off with Smith's original "Matterapat,"showcasing the smoking Latin percussion of Shipp and taut, off-kilter breaks from Riley, the front line is all knotty soul and blues. The theme is greasy and in the pocket; Harrison's solo moves effortlessly from post-bop to soul. The cover of the Beatles' "Come Together" that follows is even nastier, with Smith's below-the-basement vocal growl on the first verse all but indecipherable except as a snarling rap. It's another instrument in this band's arsenal. This is a slow bump and funky grind with a big payoff. "Pilgrimage" begins as a ballad but quickly asserts itself as a cooker thanks to Riley playing counterpoint breaks to Smith's B-3. Other covers that appear -- and are reinvented in Smith's musical vocabulary -- are the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," which commences, seemingly, as an astral afterthought but finds a deep percussive bottom end and a spooky articulation of the melody that is all rhythm based. One can guarantee that the version of "People Make the World Go 'Round" found here is unlike any other that exists. It's the longest cut on the set and builds itself right from a lithe, breezy funk groove with a poppin' set of rimshot breakbeats from Riley. Harrison is the perfect foil for Smith because of his lyric sensibility; it is the perfect counter to the percussive groove quotient of Smith. The solos here are wonderfully complex and sophisticated and the use of harmonic extension in the ensemble's reading is pure magic. The set ends on an atmospheric blues tip with Smith's "Voodoo Doll," where Harrison's alto plays it straight out of the noir-ish dark and into the shadows where traces of light emerge. Smith's comping and eventually structural form for the tune transforms it into a swirling, shimmering heat with Bernstein's guitar erecting a pulsing bridge for Riley. It's a killer way to end a record. For B-3 fans, Rise Up! is nothing but solid in terms of tunes, arrangements, and heat.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     A Matterapat 6:46
Dr. Lonnie Smith
2     Come Together 5:07
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
3     Pilgrimage 6:49
Dr. Lonnie Smith
4     Dapper Dan 7:21
Dr. Lonnie Smith
5     And the World Weeps 7:39
Dr. Lonnie Smith
6     People Make the World Go Round 10:42
Thom Bell / Linda Epstein
7     Tyrone 6:15
Young
8     Sweet Dreams 6:47
Annie Lennox / Dave Stewart
9     Voodoo Dolls 4:42
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Credits :
Drums – Allison Miller
Guitar – Matt Balitsaris (faixas: 9,10), Peter Bernstein
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith