Dr. Lonnie
Smith is set to release "Evolution," his first album for
Blue Note Records since 1970. The album, which comes out January 29, marks the
return of the legendary Hammond B-3 organ master to the iconic jazz label where
he first made a name for himself in the late 1960s, first as a sideman with
saxophonist Lou Donaldson on albums including Alligator Bogaloo, and soon after
as a leader with his own soul-jazz classics such as Think! and Turning Point.
Evolution is available for pre-order now on CD or digital download. Fans who
pre-order the download will immediately receive the single “Straight No
Chaser,” which is also available today as a single on streaming services.
Blue Note
president Don Was signed Smith and produced Evolution, which is a robust and
spirited collection of seven tunes, including fresh takes on Dr. Lonnie’s
favorite originals and standards as well as brand-new excursions that he had
never recorded before. Joining Smith are special guests Robert Glasper on piano
and Joe Lovano on saxophones, as well as a top-notch band of musicians
including reedist John Ellis, trumpeters Maurice Brown and Keyon Harrold,
guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg, and the double drummer team of Joe Dyson and
Johnathan Blake (appearing together on five of the seven numbers).
After
releasing his debut album Finger Lickin’ Good for Columbia, Smith joined Lou
Donaldson’s band and made his first Blue Note appearance on the saxophonist’s
hit 1967 album Alligator Boogaloo. Two more Donaldson dates followed (Mr.
Shing-A-Ling and Midnight Creeper) before Smith was offered his own Blue Note
deal, making his label debut with Think! in 1968. Smith went on to record
another four Blue Note albums over the next two years (Turning Point, Move Your
Hand, Drives and Live at Club Mozambique) all of which are regarded as
soul-jazz classics.
Smith helped
celebrate Blue Note’s 75th anniversary in 2014 by appearing with Donaldson at
the historic concert Blue Note at 75 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Some of Smith’s early tracks for Blue Note are collected on the playlist Intro
to Dr. Lonnie Smith including standout cuts like “Spinning Wheel,” which was
famously sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for their songs “Can I Kick It?” and
“Buggin’ Out.”
The track
listing for Evolution is as follows:
Play It Back
featuring Robert Glasper
Afrodesia
featuring Joe Lovano
For Heaven’s
Sake featuring Joe Lovano
Straight No
Chaser
Talk About
This
My Favorite
Things
African
Suite
DR. LONNIE
SMITH – 2016 TOUR DATES
February
23-24: Ronnie Scott’s, London, UK
February
25-27: Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark
February 28:
LantarenVenster, Rotterdam, Netherlands
March 2:
Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, Norway
March 3:
Spor 5, Stavanger, Norway
March 4: USF
Verftet, Bergen, Norway
March 5:
Dokkhuset Scene, Trondheim, Norway
March 6:
Fasching Club, Stockholm, Sweden
March 8-12:
Marian’s Jazz Room, Bern, Switzerland
March 24-27:
Jazz Showcase, Chicago, IL
April 6:
Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY
April 9:
Annenberg Center, Philadelphia PA
May 8:
Segerstrom Center, Costa Mesa, CA
June 28-July
3: Jazz Standard, New York, NY
~ Blue Note
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