Avantgarde Jazz Festival: Dr. Lonnie Smith trio, concert
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The Dr Lonnie Smith Trio, led by the recognised organist and pianist, also dubbed the grandfather of acid jazz, had his first performance in Croatia in Rovinj, as part of the Avant-garde Jazz Festival. Along with Dr Smith, singing and playing the Hammo
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On account of his look and secrecy, the oldest American jazz magazine, the Jazz Times, recently described Smith as a “riddle wrapped in enigma wrapped into a turban!” Such a description suggests the level of complexity that Smith achieves in his music and admiration to his art. During his career, Smith recorded over thirty albums as band leader. At the recording sessions, but also during the many live concerts, he was accompanied by renowned jazz musicians – among others by Lee Morgan, David “Fathead” Newman, Blue Mitchell and Joe Lovano. Thanks to the alt saxophone player Lou Donaldson, whom he met in 1967, Smith signed a contract with the cult label of Blue Note under which he released five albums in the soul-jazz style. Along himself, famous jazz musicians played on these, the likes of the trumpet player Lee Morgan, saxophone player Benny Maupin and drummer Idris Muhammad.
In 1970, he converted to Sikhism and decreased his concert activities. Famous jazz musicians still played with him, among others Ronnie Cuber, George Adams, George Benson and Bobby Durham. Even though he has no actual doctorate, it was at this time that he started using the name of Dr Lonnie Smith. He gradually increased his musical activities, playing at renowned jazz festivals and collaborating with famous jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Brecker, Ron Carter, Lou Donaldson, Ron Holloway and Grover Washington Jr. Also, he played with musicians from other genres, for example with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Joan Cartwright and Ester Phillips. During the last decade, he released as many as six independent albums, confirming the reputation of one of the best organ players. In 1969, critics of the appreciated music magazine the Down Beat dubbed him the best organ player, while the Association of jazz journalists awarded him with the title as many as five times during the past ten years. The Dr Lonnie Smith Trio found an exceptional welcome by the Rovinj audience, proving once again that the organisers of the Avant-garde Jazz Festival from Zagreb, Maistra and the Rovinj Tourist Board found the right way to their listeners and true music buffs.
