Dr Lonnie Smith - Breathe

The aesthetic of 78-year-old Hammond maestro Dr. Lonnie Smith includes those essentials of course, and has from the get-go: Just check out the offhand fervor of his spin on Little Walter’s “My Babe” from his 1967 debut, Finger Lickin’ Good Soul Organ. But Smith usually has something up his sleeve when it comes to enhancing the predictable approach of greasy vamps and swinging funk, and this live album has a handful of gambits to further the hopped-up soul strut expected from the form.

The stylistic parameters of “organ jazz” are so cemented at this late date, it’s easy to believe that gritty grooves and churchy exclamations are the sole elements of a B-3 outfit’s presentation.

Double vinyl LP pressing. 2021 release. On this night the good doctor took the stage with an expanded line-up featuring Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar, Johnathan Blake on drums, John Ellis on tenor saxophone, Jason Marshall on baritone saxophone, Sean Jones on trumpet, and Robin Eubanks on trombone with special guest vocalist Alicia Olatuja on "Pilgrimage." Two additional studio tracks open and close the album, presenting the unique collaboration between Doc & Iggy Pop including a sublime cover of Donovan's 1966 hit "Sunshine Superman."