B-Side presents B-Side Jazz Festival Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio with Imani Uzuri
Dr. Lonnie Smith is an authentic Master of the Hammond B3 organ. For over five decades he has furthered the sound of Jazz Organ, created a worldwide fan-base, and revealed his musical talents on over seventy albums. Today, his name is truly synonymous with the instrument.
Jazz Times magazine recently described him as “a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a turban!” This kind of description suggests the level of complexity that he exhibits in his music and the pure amazement that it elicits. Much has been written about his music…but just who is Dr. Lonnie Smith? Lonnie Smith has consistently been a leading force in jazz since 1969 when critics for Downbeat magazine hailed him as ‘Top Organist of 1969.’ More recently he has been selected as ‘Organ Keyboardist of the Year’ by The Jazz Journalist Association in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Born in Buffalo, New York, Lonnie was blessed with the gift of music and gained an exposure to gospel, blues and jazz through his mother at an early age. In his teens, he went on to sing in several vocal groups including his own, “The Supremes,” formed long before Diana Ross used the name.
Lonnie also played the trumpet at school, and was a featured soloist, but upon possessing his own organ he immediately immersed himself in studying it with no instruction other than Jimmy Smith and Bill Doggett records and paying rapt attention to the church organ. Within months his proficiency attracted the attention of local musicians and so began his ascent into jazz history. In the late 1950s Lonnie at last discovered the instrument he calls the “425 pound beast”—the Hammond B-3 organ. His first organ was given to him after he told local music store owner Art Kubera he was certain he could make a living if he only had an instrument to play. The next time he came by the shop, Kubera locked the door and led Lonnie to a massive Hammond B3 and announced that it was his—if he could move it out of the store! Lonnie lost no time in taking him up on his offer and thanks to this kindness and generosity so began Lonnie’s destiny. Dr. Smith often refers to Art as his “Angel.” Reflecting back on that time, Lonnie explains, “Even though I didn't know how, I was able to play right from the beginning. I learned how to work the stops and that was it. It's a passion for me, so everything else came naturally. It is a difficult instrument to play though, because you have two keyboards and the bass pedal, so you are the orchestra. You have so much to do but you don't want to get in 2 anybody's way. Just because you have muscle doesn't mean you have to show it off.”
Lonnie first gigs were played at Buffalo's hottest club, The Pine Grill where he quickly came to the attention of musicians Jack McDuff, Lou Donaldson, George Benson and the agent Jimmy Boyd—who signed Smith to record with Grant Green. Soon after he moved to NYC and began playing regularly in George Benson's Quartet. His reputation as a self-schooled innovator grew rapidly during his tenure with Benson, and eventually Smith went on to make his first recording as a leader on Columbia Records. After performing with Lou Donaldson and recording the seminal jazz gem “Alligator Boogaloo,” Smith was signed to Blue Note Records. Lonnie has recorded and performed with Randy Brecker, John Abercrombie, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Ronnie Cuber, Kenny Garrett, Lenny White, Reuben Wilson, Lee Morgan, David ‘Fat Head’ Newman, King Curtis, Blue Mitchell, Joe Lovano, Jimmy McGriff, Frank Foster, Ron Carter, Grover Washington, Jr., Dizzy Gillespie and virtually anyone else you care to name. A prolific creative force and innovator, his musical evolution has included recording everything from tribute albums to Jimi Hendrix and John Coltrane to straight-ahead jazz, funk and acid-jazz recordings.
During the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in the Hammond B3 and Dr. Smith has been amused to find himself sampled in rap, dance and house grooves while being credited as a forefather of Acid Jazz. His recent critically acclaimed recording of pop star Beck’s tunes, including “Loser,” has secured his relevance with yet another generation of music fans. When questioned about his consistent interest in music some consider outside the jazz mainstream, Lonnie says, “Jazz is American Classical, and this music is a reflection of what’s happening at the time.” His inspired interpretation of an eclectic sampling of musical types explains in part his broad appeal and why he has been in constant demand from his earliest gigs to his most recent club appearances. Revered throughout the world and popular among many disparate groups, his unique stylings and prolific output have elevated him to the status of living musical icon. Lonnie's irrepressible energy infuses his music and audience with the joy that he has always found in creating and performing. “The organ is like sunlight, rain and thunder—it’s all the worldly sounds to me!”
About IMANI UZURI
[Alicia]Keys and her sisters [...from Lil' Kim to Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé to MeShell Ndegeocello... Jill Scott to Cassandra Wilson, Keyshia Cole to Marsha Ambrosius, IMANI UZURI to Tamar-Kali, Erykah Badu to Alice Smith, Ciara...] remind us that while yes, there will always be blood...our world must must must be aswim in black-and-blue praisesongs, worksongs, torchsongs, naked and gospel truths, romance, reflection, redemption, sunshine, rain, and maybe, Family, a bit more nguzo saba umoja ujima, kuumba kujichagulia.-THE VILLAGE VOICE
"THE SONGS IN [IMANI UZURI's] DEBUT ALBUM 'HER HOLY WATER: A BLACK GIRL'S ROCK OPERA' ARE SOULFUL, PROVOCATIVE AND EMOTIONALLY CHARGED" - THE NEW YORK POST
"BLACK. GIRL. ROCK. OPERA. THIS DEBUT IS A COMMANDING REPRESENTATION AND REFUTATION OF ALL THOSE CATEGORIES. CHANNELING ELLA FITZGERALD AND EVERYONE'S FAVORITE FILICIDAL MAMA, MEDEA (in the same song, no less), UZURI CREATES A DRAMATIC MUSICAL NARRATIVE WORTHY OF ITS LOFTY TITLE...MR. [FREDDIE]MERCURY WOULD BE PROUD."-OKAYPLAYER-received 4 AFRO HEADS OUT OF 5!!!
"...STATUESQUE IMANI UZURI...MESMERIZED WITH AN ETHERAL SOULFUL ROCK." -THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
"BEAUTIFUL" JOHN LEGEND
"BURSTING WITH ENERGY...DEEP VOCALS AND WIDE RANGING SOUNDS..." - TRACE MAGAZINE
"THE UNINHIBITED SOUL OF IMANI UZURI IS AN ENDLESS FOUNTAIN OF CREATIVITY." -FLAVOR PILL NYC
"SOUNDS MAGICAL" MARC MAC (4Hero)
"There is a SOUND between WEEPING and WAILING, SINGING and screaming, SOUL CRYING and caterwauling, RHASODIZING and RETUNING FIRE. PUT YOUR HAND WHERE IT HURTS and THIS SOUND MAY HEAL YOU...THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN HEAR SUCH MUSIC AND NOT BE TRANSFORMED." GREG TATE (excerpt from his liner notes for the album HER HOLY WATER: A BLACK GIRL'S ROCK OPERA)
“[UZURI]… never fails to mesmerize audiences with her narcotic blend of ethereal sounds…” (TIME OUT NEW YORK).
Recently featured as TRACE Magazine's 'Beautiful', ecletic, bohemian IMANI UZURI is one who defies category. She has performed at numerous international venues/festivals including LINCOLN CENTER, CENTRAL PARK SUMMER STAGE, PERFORMA07, London's BARBICAN CENTER, THE BLUE NOTE, JOE'S PUB, Japan's WORLD FESTIVAL OF SACRED MUSIC, SOBs, THE UNITED NATIONS, BLACK LILY FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL, LE LIEU UNIQUE, BAM, NYC CULTUREFEST, THE APOLLO THEATER, THE WHITNEY MUSEUM, Atlanta's NATIONAL BLACK ART'S FESTIVAL, BOWERY BALLROOM, and Morocco's FESTIVAL D'ESSAOUIRA. UZURI's recordings/collaborations include HERBIE HANCOCK, JOHN LEGEND, 4-HERO, TALIB KWELI, SLY and ROBBIE, BILL LASWELL and KING BRITT. Television appeareances include DAVID LETTERMAN performing with PETER GABRIEL and the AFRO-CELT SOUND SYSTEM. UZURI’s stunning debut album ‘HER HOLY WATER: A BLACK GIRL’S ROCK OPERA’ features 18 sweeping and captivating songs. She is currently developing a provocative musical theater piece of the same title based on its music, while incorporating coming-of-age memories from her youth in rural North Carolina, multi-media video montage and anecdotes from her nomadic travels around the world of which she has just completed 2 SOLD OUT performances at the LEGENDARY APOLLO THEATRE! It has also been successfully showcased at Joe's Pub, THE HIP HOP THEATER FESTIVIAL, THE KITCHEN, NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (NJPAC) and Philadelphia's PAINTED BRIDE.
Tickets go on sale at noon Fri Mar 20 from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Ticketweb
