Lonnie Smith (jazz musician)

Early life

He was born in Lackawanna, New York, into a family with a vocal group and radio program. Smith says that his mother was a major influence on him musically, as she introduced him to gospel, classical, and jazz music. He was part of several vocal ensembles in the 1950s, including the Teen Kings which included Grover Washington Jr. on sax and his brother Daryl on drums. Art Kubera, the owner of a local music store, gave Smith his first organ, a Hammond B3.

George Benson Quartet

Smith's affinity for R&B melded with his own personal style as he became active in the local music scene. He moved to New York City, where he met George Benson, the guitarist for Jack McDuff's band. Benson and Smith connected on a personal level, and the two formed the George Benson Quartet, featuring Lonnie Smith, in 1966.

Solo career; Finger Lickin' Good

After two albums under Benson's leadership, It's Uptown and Cookbook, Smith recorded his first solo album (Finger Lickin' Good Soul Organ) in 1967, with George Benson and Melvin Sparks on guitar, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Marion Booker on drums. This combination remained stable for the next five years.

After recording several albums with Benson, Smith became a solo recording artist and has since recorded over 30 albums under his own name. Numerous prominent jazz artists have joined Smith on his albums and in his live performances, including Lee Morgan, David "Fathead" Newman, King Curtis, Terry Bradds, Blue Mitchell, Joey DeFrancesco and Joe Lovano.

Blue Note Records

In 1967, Smith met Lou Donaldson, who put him in contact with Blue Note Records. Donaldson asked the quartet to record an album for Blue Note, Alligator Bogaloo. Blue Note signed Smith for the next four albums, all in the soul jazz style, including Think (with Melvin Sparks, Marion Booker, Lee Morgan and David Newman) and Turning Point (with Lee Morgan, Bennie Maupin, Melvin Sparks and Idris Muhammad).

Smith's next album Move Your Hand was recorded at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in August 1969. The album's reception allowed his reputation to grow beyond the Northeast. He recorded another studio album, Drives, and another live album unreleased at the time, Live at Club Mozambique (recorded in Detroit on May 21, 1970), before leaving Blue Note. Dr. Smith became a part of the Blue Note family once again in March 2015. He released his first Blue Note album in 45 years titled Evolution which was released January 29. 2016 featuring special guests Robert Glasper and Joe Lovano.

1970s tours

Smith toured the northeastern United States heavily during the 1970s. He concentrated largely on smaller neighborhood venues during this period. His sidemen included Ronnie Cuber, Dave Hubbard, Bill Easley and George Adams on sax, Donald Hahn on trumpet, George Benson, Perry Hughes, Marc Silver, and Larry McGee on guitars, and Joe Dukes, Sylvester Goshay, Phillip Terrell, Marion Booker, Jimmy Lovelace, Charles Crosby, Art Gore, Norman Connors and Bobby Durham on drums.

Performances

Smith has performed at several prominent jazz festivals with artists including Grover Washington Jr., Ron Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Lou Donaldson, Ron Holloway, and Santana. He has also played with musicians outside of jazz, such as Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Etta James, and Esther Phillips.

Accolades

He was named the "Organ Keyboardist of the Year" in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014 by the Jazz Journalist Association. Recipient of the 2017 NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Jazz Masters Fellowship, the highest honor that the U.S. bestows on jazz artists. Selected as a living legend making exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz.

Personal life

Lovingly referred to as "Dr." by fellow musicians because he likes to "doctor" up the tunes with his unique improvisational stylings. He is known worldwide as an unparalleled musician, composer, performer and recording artist that truly loves and appreciates his loyal fans who look forward to his appearances.

As leader

As sideman

With Eric Allison

With George Benson

With Bobby Broom

With Karl Denson's Tiny Universe

With Lou Donaldson

With Richie Hart

With Red Holloway

With Ron Holloway

With Javon Jackson

With Rodney Jones

With Jimmy McGriff

With Jimmy Ponder

With Alvin Queen

With Akira Tana

With Bruno Carr, Jimmy Ponder and Harold Ousley as Harlem Art Ensemble