 Jimmy Smith The late Jimmy Smith, born in Norristown, Pennsylvania in 1925, was
a gifted pianist when in
1952 he heard Wild Bill Davis and became interested in the organ.
In 1955 Jimmy Smith locked himself away with a Hammond B3 organ in a
warehouse and experimented
with it for many months,
and then made his first New York appearance at Small's Paradise in
Harlem. But it was shortly after that when he gigged at the Cafe
Bohemia that the world caught on to what
he had made of the Hammond B3.
Jimmy Smith had re-invented the sound of jazz organ and changed the way
it
would be played from then on.
Smith's impact on jazz organ performance was similar to the impact
Charlie Parker had on saxophone.
No one who followed would be able to ignore the innovation and
revelation.
In the 1960's Dr. Lonnie Smith and Reuben Wilson were both early
followers of Jimmy Smith, and built upon his
boppish soul-jazz putting their own spin on the music from funky
bogaloo to acid jazz. They will join forces to honor him on May 26th.
Dr. Lonnie Smith performs with passion and skill, and has
been thrilling audiences since the 1960's. Smith's 1968 debut with
Bluenote,
Think is solid soulful jazz. His long association with Lou
Donaldson resulted in some of the most iconic soul-jazz statements of
the era (including
Alligator Bogaloo). Dr. Lonnie Smith was born in
Buffalo, N.Y. into a musical family.
His family had a singing group and a radio show. Smith credits his
mother as a major influence in his musical career,
introducing him to gospel, classical and jazz music.  Dr Lonnie Smith, Photo by Andrea Canter "I can take it anywhere it goes,
right? I love to play inside,
outside...but the organ swings best when it swings, doesn't it? That's
what that organ is good for. You could try to play hip all you want,
but when you swing that thing, there's no other feeling like it."
-
Doctor Lonnie Smith
Dr. Smith also has a Jack McDuff connection. He sat in with Jack's
group in th early 60's and met George Benson, and shorty after that
formed a successful group with Benson. After recording several albums
with George Benson and Lou Donaldson, Lonnie became a solo recording
artist and developed a career that has produced over 30 albums under
his own name. Several legendary jazz artists have joined Dr. Lonnie
Smith on his albums, including Lee Morgan, David "Fat Head" Newman,
King Curtis, Blue Mitchell, and Joe Lavano among others. Like his the title of his latest CD, you can expect his performance
to be
Too Damn Hot.
Organist Reuben Wilson
was born in Mounds, Oklahoma on April 9, 1935, but soon moved to
Pasadena, California.
Wilson, a former professional boxer who helped usher in the "Acid Jazz"
era over 30 years ago, continues to have a profound influence on the
modern music scene. "Today, I'm playing to the children of my original
audience", Wilson noted. "I feel like l made a real contribution
musically, and I feel very good about the fact that it's actually given
me legend status in Europe." In 1997, Wilson received his first gold
disc for his compositions on the US3 recording Hand On The Torch. That
same year he collaborated with Dr. Lonnie Smith on the Hip Bop Organic
Grooves II LP and Blue Note reissued two of his albums: Love Bug
(1969), with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist George Coleman,
guitarist Grant Green and drummer ldris Muhammad (then known as Leo
Morris); and Blue Mode (1969) with tenor saxophonist John Manning,
guitarist Melvin Sparks and drummer Tommy Derrick. Born April 9, 1935
in Mounds, Oklahoma, at age five Wilson moved with his family to
Pasadena, California, where his schoolmates included bassist Herb Lewis
and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. He started playing professionally in
Los Angeles, and in the mid 60s went to New York and worked with a
range of artists from Sam Rivers to Grant Green, Roy Haynes to Willis
"Gatortail" Jackson. Also after arriving in New York, Wilson formed a
trio called the Wildare Express with Tommy Derrick, the drummer who
would appear on the organist's Blue Note debut. Wilson still resides in
New York, still actively tours, and sounds better than ever.
TRIBECA Performing Arts Center
199 Chambers Street #110SC
New York, NY 10007
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Box Office: 212.220.1460
Subway directions:
1 2 3 to Chambers Street stop, walk 2 blocks west on Chambers, entrance
is up the ramp through main doors
4 5 6 to Brooklyn Bridge stop, walk 6 blocks west on Chambers...
J M Z to Chambers stop, walk 6 blocks west on Chambers...
A C to Chambers Street, walk west on Chambers...
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Thursday, 08 January 2009
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