by S. Rotan Hale
After seeing the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio at the Jefferson Center in 2011, I thought to myself, maybe I’ll pass this time.
Like the rest of the crowd in Jefferson Center’s Jazz Club setting (Friday, 10/23) I thought I was ready–expecting something typical yet satisfying.
Moments into the hour-and-a-half performance I sat there awestruck by what was an incredibly mesmerizing musical adventure unlike any in my experience.
Draped in his signature Middle Eastern garb complete with turban, you could feel the legendary musician’s energy as “the Doctor” entered the stage while the two other members Jonathan Kreisberg (guitar) and drummer Terreon “Tank” Gully, took their respective places.
The show was totally different from anything imagined and erupted into a set of high powered multi-layered compositions that bordered on avant-garde with great balance.
With a flurry of lightening licks mixed with tranquil combinations of melodic progressions, Kreisberg added mystery and brilliance as he delicately accompanied Smith on each dynamic selection.
Gully was strong and steady as he followed Smith’s lead, yet he set the pace on several more high-powered tunes. At one point he showed his percussive prowess with an impressive and extremely fluid solo.
Dr. Smith’s charming smile frames his amiable spirit that generates the flood of peaceful rhythmic vibrations exemplified through his music. Little wonder he’s considered by many to be a guru and master of the Hammond B3 organ.
Midway through the show to everyone’s surprise he emerged from behind the organ and went solo with what at first appeared to be a cane–that was actually a custom electric walking stick.
He strummed the mysterious instrument like a bass guitar yet the sound was deeply percussive and synthesized. One could tell he was clearly having fun dancing to his improvisations which led the group on yet another fabulous “other world journey.”
The band joined in and created an expansive wall of sound that proved to be a sensory exploration connecting those who understood to the other side of the universe.
A celestial intro led into an upbeat, and lengthy jazzed-up version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s classic “My Favorite Things.” The audience was totally engrossed throughout the 20-minute tune that kept everyone locked under his spell.
After intense calls from the audience asking for more, the group returned and closed with an original composition called “When the World Weeps,” … to which Smith sighed, “and it does because of what’s going on today.”
The selection was somber and bluesy with a marching cadence signature. Kreisberg’s haunting guitar licks, deep and howling, carried the tune with broad strokes symbolic of the tunes theme.
Together with Smith’s bold and bellowing progressions the song painted an incredibly convincing picture of a troubled world and served as the perfect finale to a truly exhilarating performance.
