Dr Lonnie Smith Rise Up! CD

Personnel: Dr. Lonnie Smith (vocals, Hammond b-3 organ); Jo Lawry (vocals); Matt Balitsaris, Peter Bernstein (guitar); Donald Harrison (alto saxophone); Herlin Riley (drums); Pat Rustici, Natasha Zaikina, Doc (hand claps); James Shipp (percussion).
Audio Remasterer: A.T. Michael MacDonald.
Author: Ian Jackson.
Not to be confused with jazz-fusion keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith is an organist deeply steeped in the soul-jazz tradition who has been turning out tasty, funky music since the mid 1960s. Dr. Smith shows no sign of slowing up in the 21st century either, as 2009's RISE UP attests. With Smith's swirling B-3 leading the way, RISE UP cooks through nine tracks of fiery, groove-centric jams with plenty of chops on offer. Alongside covers of the Beatles' "Come Together" and the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," Smith and company serve up a host of originals in the classic soul-jazz tradition.
Who says you have to slow down as you get older? The honorable B-3 master, Dr. Lonnie Smith, has been on a renaissance tear since the beginning of the 21st century. Rise Up! is the fifth new recording since 2000, and there have been a number of reissues of his older work to boot. Given that some artists issue a record a year, this may not seem like such a terrific feat -- but appearances are deceiving. Smith recorded only 13 albums between 1966 and 1996, so five in nine years is actually prolific. It's not only the quantity, however, it's the consistency of the quality of the records Smith has been releasing that is outstanding, and Rise Up! is no exception.
Ever since 2000's Turbanator and 2003's Boogaloo to Beck: A Tribute, Smith has packed his records with covers and originals that accent the "soul" in the deep, wide tradition of soul-jazz. Sure, he's funky, he's got chops, grooves, and tricks, and he's surrounded himself with compelling musicians from Jimmy Ponder to David "Fathead" Newman to great effect. Since 2003 he's been working with guitarist and producer Matt Balitsaris and the results have been, and remain, electrifying. This set, with guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and drummer Herlin Riley -- with extra help on a couple of cuts from Balitsaris and percussionist James Shipp -- is one of his most realized, funky, and resonant dates yet. The set jumps off with Smith's original "Matterapat,"showcasing the smoking Latin percussion of Shipp and taut, off-kilter breaks from Riley, the front line is all knotty soul and blues. The theme is greasy and in the pocket; Harrison's solo moves effortlessly from post-bop to soul. The cover of the Beatles' "Come Together" that follows is even nastier, with Smith's below-the-basement vocal growl on the first verse all but indecipherable except as a snarling rap. It's another instrument in this band's arsenal. This is a slow bump and funky grind with a big payoff. "Pilgrimage" begins as a ballad but quickly asserts itself as a cooker thanks to Riley playing counterpoint breaks to Smith's B-3. Other covers that appear -- and are reinvented in Smith's musical vocabulary -- are the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," which commences, seemingly, as an astral afterthought but finds a deep percussive bottom end and a spooky articulation of the melody that is all rhythm based. One can guarantee that the version of "People Make the World Go 'Round" found here is unlike any other that exists. It's the longest cut on the set and builds itself right from a lithe, breezy funk groove with a poppin' set of rimshot breakbeats from Riley. Harrison is the perfect foil for Smith because of his lyric sensibility; it is the perfect counter to the percussive groove quotient of Smith. The solos here are wonderfully complex and sophisticated and the use of harmonic extension in the ensemble's reading is pure magic. The set ends on an atmospheric blues tip with Smith's "Voodoo Doll," where Harrison's alto plays it straight out of the noir-ish dark and into the shadows whereDown Beat (p.69) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "It's a fine recording, from the opening track, 'A Matterapat,' to the closer, Voodoo Doll.' Everyone performs to perfection, and Smith and Harrison sound particularly inspired."
JazzTimes (p.80) - "[M]ostly it's 'And the World Weeps' that proves to be Smith's charmer, a pensive sad song whose stewing organ swirls find their own holy-rolling gospel."