Styles: Crossover Jazz, Fusion, Post-Bop, Jazz-Funk, Soul-Jazz, Hard Bop , Urban, Jazz Blues

Organist Lonnie Smith has often been confused with keyboardist/pianist Lonnie Liston Smith -- and, in fact, more than a few retailers have wrongly assumed that they're one and the same. In the mid-'60s, the Hammond hero earned recognition for his membership in George Benson's classic quartet before going on to play with Lou Donaldson (contributing some memorable solos to the alto saxman's hit 1967 album Alligator Bogaloo) and recording enjoyable dates of his own for Blue Note. For all their accessibility and commercial appeal, funk-influenced Smith sessions like 1968's Think and 1970's Drives showed that he could be quite imaginative. Smith, who later became Dr. Lonnie Smith (for "no particular reason", the same reason he gives for why he always wears a turban), remained an inspired representative of soul-jazz and did some solid work with Donaldson in the '90s. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Dr. Lonnie Smith is another person than Lonnie Liston Smith, who is also a Jazz Organ player. Even record stores do make this mistake!

Smith has recorded some of the funkiest jazz music ever (1968/69). His soul-jazz style is very rough and his song lyrics are derived from Black Emancipation revolutionaries such as Malcom X and the Black Panthers. Other soul jazz organ music from artists like Jimmy Smith or Jimmy McGriff sound very smooth and soft compared to Lonnies!

Lonnie Smith is always dressed as an fakir from India, and makes a big impression as soon when he takes his place behind his Hammond B-3!

My favourite recordings:

I can't stand it

Move your hand

Lonnie Smith recorded most of his music on the Blue Note label.

(Tibert Sanders -- Nijmegen, NL, soul jazz fan)