Search - Lonnie Smith :: Turbanator

Great organ playing, average piano effort

Terje Biringvad | Oslo, Norway | 08/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After years trying to get a hold of a copy of this hard-to-get-out-of-print CD from 2000 (recorded 1991) to complete my Dr. Lonnie Smith discography, eBay made my day with a copy at a reasonable price! Like many of the great soul organists in the industry, Smith didn't start out playing the piano before moving to the organ, but started exclusively playing the organ. So Smith kick's off this album in his excellent blues and soul organ style with his live concert favourite and jazz standard "Caravan" with the underrated guitarist Jimmy Ponder in top form supported by drummer Buddy Williams. The organ trio continue with more standards; ""Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Cherokee" (which is played as a ballad!?! Never heard that before......) and round up the organ part with a blues-based original penned by Smith. So far "The Turbanator" is a 5-five-star album by the Doctor.



But turning to play piano in a trio format on the remaining three tunes with Buster Williams added on double bass (Budd Williams still on drums), leads nowhere. Smith display another approach and technique when picking' on the piano ivories, but even playing nice tunes this piano trio can't compensate the inventiveness, aggressiveness and dynamics played using the organ. Sorry, but this part of the album represents only 3-three-stars. Houston Person, who produced this album, is added on two tunes blowing his tenor sax at the expected level from this veteran.



With the current outrageous online prices, ranging up to $230 (CDNow), on this out-of-print album, most Smith fans will wait for a re-issue or look carefully in the CD bins at clearance sale. Wounded Bird Records - please put this album on your target list!"

The Turbanator rules!

J. Levinson | Media, PA USA | 01/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is fine set of recordings by the honorable Dr. Lonnie Smith, including a few tracks where he demonstrates that he is just as capable on piano as on the B-3 organ. He is somewhat stylistically distinct from Lonnie Liston Smith, whose Cosmic Echoes recordings, while soulful and sensual, have a much more spacey and ethereal quality to them. Dr. Lonnie's groove is blues-based soul-jazz, with a gritty, earthy feel, and much more directly influenced by mainstream jazz. Lonnie Liston would be highly unlikely to attempt the jazz standards like "Caravan" and "Cherokee" that are interpreted here, or pen a Monk-derived original entitled "Monk Could Swing". Both organists are talented, but I much prefer the sound of the Turbanator. Dr. Lonnie Smith - Organ, Piano
Houston Person - Sax (Tenor), Producer
Jimmy Ponder - Guitar
Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer
Buster Williams - Bass
Buddy Williams - Drums"