Dr. Lonnie Smith: The Whip
Musicians:
Dr. Lonnie Smith (organ),
Peter Bernstein (guitar), Rodney Jones (rhythm guitar), Furushi Tainaka (drums)
.Recorded: New York, January 5-6, 2004
Rating: 91/100 (learn more)
Perhaps the most underrated organist of his generation, Dr. Lonnie Smith has come into his own really only in the past several years, with a batch of terrific old-school soul-jazz albums. This one, OK, technically isn’t a trio outing, but the two guitarists – one playing rhythm, one playing the solos – tend not to overlap, so it sounds like a trio. “The Whip,” written by Smith, is a simple enough blues, but the group’s touches – including the stop-start nature of its intro – add some unexpected excitement. Smith hands the first solo over to guitarist Peter Bernstein, who has a nice, clean voice and gets a strong, deep tone from the thicker strings. Smith’s swirling solo is right out of Blue Note circa 1965, but he’s got his own things to say, playing wonderfully behind and against the beat. Hot stuff.
Reviewer: Steve Greenlee
Tags: organ
Comments are closed.