[rating=8.00]
Continuing his new run at Blue Note Records that began in 2016 with Evolution, Dr. Lonnie Smith’s new live recording All In My Mind documents him in a trio setting during a 75th birthday celebration at the Jazz Standard in New York City last summer. With guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Johnathan Blake, the threesome evince as much style and spirit during a setlist including originals such as his own vintage title song, works of modern jazz masters plus a spirited nod to pop.
“JuJu” is an altogether appropriate opener, the musicians moving in graceful leaps and bounds conjuring up all the mystery that befits this ode to sorcery written by iconic saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter. The detail of the recording by Tyler McDiarmid and Geoff Countryman (produced by Don Was), captures the nuance necessary to appreciate the lightning-fast twists and turns in which Smith and company engage and while the performance of “Devika” is markedly more low-key, it nevertheless radiates a similarly deep, collective empathy
Here, the progression of quick, sharp notes from Kriesberg’s instrument find a foil in the fluidity of Smith’s organ lines, while guest drummer Joe Dyson (a participant in the aforementioned studio effort from last year) supplies a similar contrast with the familiar rhythmic pattern on the near ten-minutes (!?) workout of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover;” on this cut, as throughout All In My Mind, there’s no sense of missing a bass because Smith maintains the low notes via his Hammond B-3 and the mixing and mastering by Mike Marciano and Ian Sefchick, respectively, preserves the entire dynamic range.
For the non-jazz fan, Alicia Olatuja’s provocative singing on this title tune, a reworking of the namesake song from a 1977 album of Dr. Lonnie’s, may be the most ear-catching track of these seven (the full-bore thrashing of “Alhambra” will fill that bill for the aficionado). Yet the simplicity of this instrumental lineup, especially as exhibited during the delicious tranquility of “On A Misty Night,” should entice open-minded music lovers to hear the rest. And that act of commitment will offer some rewards well beyond the time spent even just on a single initial hearing: the final track, an-ever-so-sprightly “Up Jumped Spring,” will be comforting to anyone who’s endured a difficult winter beyond 2018!
