THE DR. PRESCRIBES A SHOT OF B3 `MONSTER MUSICIAN' SMITH EXTRACTS `JUNGLE SOUL' FROM HAMMOND ORGAN.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer The late Jimmy Smith dragged the Hammond B3 organ out of the ice-skating rink and onto the jazz stage. Dr. Lonnie Smith
Smith is among the few surviving jazz organists This is a list of jazz organists.
What exactly is the Hammond B3? Merely a 425-pound monster whose insides consist of whirring whir v. whirred, whir·ring, whirs v.intr. To move so as to produce a vibrating or buzzing sound. v.tr. To cause to make a vibratory sound. n. 1. tone-wheels and clanking clank n. A metallic sound, sharp and hard but not resonant: the clank of chains. intr.v. clanked, clank·ing, clanks To make a sharp, hard, metallic sound. keys, housed in a casket of thick wood and held together by duct tape. To the untrained eye, it's a beastly beast·ly adj. beast·li·er, beast·li·est 1. Of or resembling a beast; bestial. 2. Very disagreeable; unpleasant. adv. Chiefly British To an extreme degree; very. piece of furniture fit for the fireplace. But the instrument is responsible for some of the most soul-stirring sounds in r&b, rock and jazz. Without it, Al Green couldn't be the sultan of seduction, the Allman Brothers might never have made it to the Fillmore East, and Medeski Martin & Wood would've been an accounting firm. Dr. Lonnie Smith isn't trying to stretch the limits of the style pioneered by Jimmy Smith on workouts like ``The Sermon,'' which clocks in at 20 grinding minutes. Instead, the Buffalo, N.Y.-born musician is keeping the sophisticated, killer grooves of the genre alive, backed by exciting young players like guitarist Peter Bernstein. ``It's my passion,'' Smith said of the notoriously unwieldy and powerful Hammond organ. ``I took to it right from the start, even though I didn't know how to play it. I figured out how to work the stops, and everything just sort of came from there. It's a very difficult instrument because of the two keyboards and the bass pedal -- which makes you the orchestra. The hard part is not to overplay o·ver·play v. o·ver·played, o·ver·play·ing, o·ver·plays v.tr. 1. a. To present (a dramatic role, for example) in an exaggerated manner. b. To emphasize or stress unduly. .'' The Smith trio, with Bernstein and drummer Marvin ``Smitty'' Smith, holds forth tonight and Saturday at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City. The Village Voice hailed the New York-based outfit as ``utterly entertaining.'' Bernstein, one of the jazz world's most in-demand guitarists, says playing with Smith is a delight because the gig offers so much freedom. ``Lonnie is a monster musician with an incredible feel,'' Bernstein said. ``In his hands, that huge instrument is like a symphony orchestra. What I love about playing with him is, you never know what he's gonna do, where he's gonna take the tune, or how he's gonna get there. He's a genuine communicator of mood and feeling.'' On his latest album, ``Jungle Soul'' (Palmetto), Smith and his combo tackle the jazz standards ``Willow Weep for Me'' and ``Freedom Jazz Dance,'' Marvin Gaye's sizzling siz·zle intr.v. siz·zled, siz·zling, siz·zles 1. To make the hissing sound characteristic of frying fat. 2. To seethe with anger or indignation. 3. ``Trouble Man,'' and a handful of originals. The sound is stripped-down small-group funk, which allows the listener to soak in the B3's distinctive bass pulse and Bernstein's elegant soloing. ``I still love the sound of it,'' said Smith, 63, whose playing and composing is heard on more than 70 albums, including collaborations with George Benson, David ``Fathead'' Newman, Grant Green and Lou Donaldson. ``There really is nothing like hearing it in the flesh, even though there are now samples everywhere and synthesizers that mimic the sound. But you need the actual instrument.'' Smith, who wears a long, wispy wisp n. 1. A small bunch or bundle, as of straw, hair, or grass. 2. a. One that is thin, frail, or slight. b. A thin or faint streak or fragment, as of smoke or clouds. 3. white beard and a Sikh turban that some say he adopted, along with the ``Dr.'' appellation ap·pel·la·tion n. 1. A name, title, or designation. 2. A protected name under which a wine may be sold, indicating that the grapes used are of a specific kind from a specific district. 3. The act of naming. , in the mid-1970s to distinguish himself from fellow keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith He is to be distinguished from the other jazz organist and keyboardist, Dr. Lonnie Smith. Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr. (born December 28, 1940 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American jazz, soul, and funk musician. , has another passion besides music. He has long wished to see a retirement home established for jazz musicians. ``Most of us don't have health insurance, and that's very sad,'' he said. ``As you get older, it's harder to tour. Your sound changes along with your body. We're constantly doing benefits for sick musicians who can't afford their hospital bills -- and I know what that's like from experience. So why not have a place for jazz musicians to live and play and teach at the end of their lives? ``If I have to pass, what a lovely way to pass with my friends nearby, talking about old times. It would be so beautiful. And I know it's going to happen eventually.'' Fred Shuster, (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster@dailynews.com DR. LONNIE SMITH ORGAN TRIO Where: Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. When: 8 and 9:30 p.m. today and Saturday. Tickets: $30. (310) 271-9039; jazzbakery.org. CAPTION(S): photo |
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