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Lonnie Liston Smith

The Great Lonnie Liston Smith is one of contemporary music’s most versatile musicians. In a career that spans some 40 years, he has been heard in a variety of context as a featured sideman for some of Jazz music’s most illustrious leaders before stepping out to reveal his own original concepts as a bandleader in the mid 70’s. He is a keyboardist of the first rank and has influenced a generation of young players that have acknowledged his rhythmic urgency (swing), harmonic acumen and composing skills.

Lonnie was born in Richmond, Virginia into a musical family. His father was a member of the Gospel Group, “The Harmonizing Four”. In 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt invited “The Harmonizing Four” to sing at the White House following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Lonnie remembers such gospel groups as “The Dixie Humming Birds” and “The Soul Stirrers” with Sam Cooke, being frequent visitors at his family’s home.

There was a piano in the house and he began investigating it before formal instructions a few years later. It was during high school that Lonnie became infatuated with modern Jazz through hearing alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, one of the creative geniuses in music. It was not long before he was listening to Miles Davis (a future employer) and John Coltrane. Lonnie also began listening to great pianist geniuses, such as: Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Earl “Father” Hines, Erroll Garner and the many other piano geniuses.

After graduating from Armstrong High School, Lonnie entered Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he majored in music education and earned his B.S. degree. While attending Morgan State University, Lonnie became a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and also a member of the music fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Lonnie began performing in the Baltimore area where he became adept at backing vocalists such as Ethel Ennis and visiting dignitaries like Betty Carter. While attending Morgan State University, he began performing with his peers, Gary Bartz (alto saxophonist), Grachan Moncur (trombonist), and Mickey Bass (on upright bass). After college, Lonnie moved to New York City and began performing with the top vocalists, such as, Betty Carter and Joe Williams. Soon after, Lonnie joined Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers and after The Jazz Messengers, he got a call to perform with drummer, Max Roach, which was unusual because Max rarely used a pianist in his ensemble. Unfortunately, his year with Roach was not documented on vinyl, but these gigs did elevate his status as one of the up and coming players on the scene. He then enjoyed a 2 year stay with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and recorded 2 records with Rahsaan entitled, “Please Don’t Cry Beautiful Edith” on Verve Records and “Here Comes the Whistleman” on Atlantic Records.

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7
Album Review

Lonnie Liston Smith: Jazz Is Dead 17

Read "Jazz Is Dead 17" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


If someone has not released a recording in twenty five years, it must be a special occasion. Lonnie Liston Smith went out west, met a Fender Rhodes piano and, voila, conjured up the '70s again. So, technology and memory presumably explain the appearance of this recording, part of the ironically named Jazz is Dead label's series, founded in 2017 by music producers Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), concert producer Andrew Lojero and industry veteran Adam Block. ...

4
Album Review

Lonnie Liston Smith: Jazz Is Dead 17

Read "Jazz Is Dead 17" reviewed by Chris May


Having kicked off 2023 with one of the strongest albums in its catalogue--Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison's Jazz Is Dead 16--Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge's label continues on a roll. Jazz Is Dead 17 finds the two producers in their funked-up comfort zone and relishing it. Strange but true, Jazz Is Dead 17 is Lonnie Liston Smith's first newly recorded album release since 1998. And while it does not rise to the heights of classics such ...

9
Album Review

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes: Expansions

Read "Expansions" reviewed by Chris May


If ever a first wave jazz-funk album deserved a 180gm vinyl reissue in 2020 it is this near masterpiece. It was originally released in 1975 on Flying Dutchman, the label Bob Thiele set up after he left Impulse!. Jazz-funk divided the jazz world in the 1970s as much as free-jazz had done a decade earlier. And with reason. Much of it was crap. Just like a lot of jazz-rock was crap. More or less desperate attempts by ...

2
In Pictures

Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival 2017

Read "Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival 2017" reviewed by Mark Robbins


They were the last act of the two night 35th Annual Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival held July 14 and 15 at Town Point Park. Because of inclement weather the festival had to be moved inside to the 46 year old Scope Arena. The star studded smooth jazz festival featured Russ Freeman with the Rippingtons, Najee, Pieces of a Dream, Euge Groove, Spyro Gyra and then the last act “The Superstars of Jazz Fusion"--Lonnie Liston Smith, Roy Ayers, Ronnie Laws and ...

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Reassessing

Lonnie Liston Smith: Astral Traveling

Read "Lonnie Liston Smith: Astral Traveling" reviewed by Chris May


Lonnie Liston SmithAstral TravelingFlying Dutchman1973 For many jazz fans, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith irredeemably blotted his copy book decades ago. Right enough, for Smith's smooth jazz and quiet storm albums of the 1980s and 1990s were bland, blissed-out, insubstantial affairs. But between 1965, when he was featured on saxophonist (Rahsaan) Roland Kirk's Here Comes The Whistleman (Atlantic), and the early 1970s, when he was a member of trumpeter Miles Davis' electric ...

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Profile

Lonnie Liston Smith

Read "Lonnie Liston Smith" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes


It's been suggested that if anyone bridged the gap between John Coltrane and Earth, Wind & Fire, it was keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith. Born December 28th, 1940 in Richmond, Virg., he began his jazz career playing acoustic piano as a sideman with such luminaries as Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Betty Carter and Gato Barbieri. A stint with Miles Davis in the early '70s influenced Smith to switch from acoustic to fusion, a career change that has since defined him. ...

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Album Review

Lonnie Liston Smith: Explorations: The Columbia Recordings

Read "Explorations: The Columbia Recordings" reviewed by Jim Santella


Reissued from four albums, Columbia's 2-CD set reveals all the energy and large-scale production effort that was placed into Lonnie Liston Smith's work from 1978-80. Two that had not before been released on CD, Love Is The Answer and A Song For The Children, as well as Exotic Mysteries and Loveland, reflect the funk attitude that scored big time in the '70s and rivaled disco as the popular beat of the decade. Smith is a lyrical pianist who surrounds himself ...

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237

Interview

Lonnie Liston Smith Interview - On the Corner

Lonnie Liston Smith Interview - On the Corner

Source: All About Jazz

Lonnie Liston Smith Interview - On the corner

This interview is part of the book project “under your skin" which will include Interviews with: Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, Cindy Blackman, Taj Mahal, Yusef Lateef, Matt Waugh, Bob James, Skip Mcdonald, Erika Stucky, Living Colour, Dj Rob Swift, Marilyn Crispell, Dick Griffin, Billy Bang, Kahil El Zabaar, Michael Ricci - All About Jazz, Val-Inc, Chico Freeman, Bobby Watson, Eddie Henderson, Dinosaur Jr, ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Jazz Is Dead 17

Jazz Is Dead
2023

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Expansions

Ace Records UK
2020

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Cosmic Funk &...

Palmetto Records
2012

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Expansions / Visions...

Palmetto Records
2010

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Original Album...

Palmetto Records
2009

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Explorations

Palmetto Records
2002

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