Lonnie Smith - Turning Point 1969

Most Blue Note soul-jazz albums from the late '60s went one of three ways: it either was a straight-ahead commercial session, a slightly psychedelic outing, or a funky workout with a vague "Black Power" theme. Dr. Lonnie Smith had followed the latter path with Think!, the predecessor to Turning Point, and there are still remnants of that style on this session, particularly in the opening cover of Don Covay's "See Saw." Nevertheless, Turning Point is a more adventurous affair than Think!, finding Smith -- as well as trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Julian Priester, guitarist Melvin Sparks, tenor saxophonist Bennie Maupin and drummer Leo Morris -- exploring territory that isn't quite free, but is certainly more "out there" than the average soul-jazz session. In particular, Smith's originals "Slow High" and "Turning Point" reach the outer edges of the style, playing with dissonance, complex melodies and expansive sound structures. Despite all these free flourishes, Turning Point remains a soul-jazz record and it has all the trappings of its era -- the take on "Eleanor Rigby" finds the group approximating psychedelia. While the more adventurous elements of Turning Point make for an intriguing listen, the album isn't quite as enjoyable as the harder grooving sessions or the spacier soul-jazz records from the same era. Nevertheless, it's a worthwhile listen. AMG.

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Lonnie Smith - Move Your Hand 1969

Anyone that has listened to Lonnie Smith should know that Dr. Smith is at his best when performing the slow and grinding ilk of funk. While his album "Live at Club Mozambique" is a great and funky disc, it tends towards the faster and more energized groves; it only gives us a taste of the grinding slow stuff. This album, however, gives us a lot more of the slow grinders that Dr. Smith is rightly known for. No password.

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Lonnie Smith - Funk Reaction 1977

During the late 70s, Lonnie Smith fared a lot better than some of his late 60s jazz organ contemporaries. He had a lean style that adapted itself well to the decade's increasing use of electric keyboards and larger backings – and an album like this, one of the better ones to come out of the LC/Sonny Lester post-Groove Merchant stable, is proof that Lonnie could work well under nearly all circumstances. Sure, the groove's a bit smoother here – and some cuts have vocals – but overall, there's some nice funky moments, in a tight slicky fusiony kind of way. Titles include "Funk Reaction", "For The Love Of It", "It's Changed", and "When The Night Is Right".

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