Search - Lonnie Smith :: Move Your Hand

"Dancing to an Easy Groove" is exactly what you'll do.

Kevin Currie-Knight | Newark, Delaware | 08/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Anyone that has listened to Lonnie Smith should know that Dr. Smith is at his best when performing the slow and grinding ilk of funk. While his album "Live at Club Mozambique" is a great and funky disc, it tends towards the faster and more energized groves; it only gives us a taste of the grinding slow stuff. This album, however, gives us a lot more of the slow grinders that Dr. Smith is rightly known for.



The two best tracks on this disc, then, are "Layin' in the Cut" and the "extra," track, "Dancin' in an Easy Groove." These tracks have two of the most fun grooves I've heard and find the band laying back quite a bit. "Move Your Hand" is at a middle-of-the-road tempo but all the while has the same type of grinding groove to it, with more of a James Brown "Hotpants" flavor. The other two tracks, "Charlie Brown" and and "Sunshine Superman" - both of them covers - serve as welcome counterpoints to the slower grooves - both tracks being a bit faster, more energetic, and posessing standard blues chord changes.



The only thing I can say against the CD is that the musicianship tends to be a bit sloppier than I'd like. The drummer in particular makes some huge gaff ending fills a bit hesitantly, and most noticeably, speeding up quite a bit on a few tracks. The soloists at times get a tad bit boring as some of the soloing consists more of 'diddling around' episodically on the instrument than actually playing a connected and melodic solo.



But of this, I cannot complain too terribly much and can only deduct one star. The grooves this disc provides is more than enough to rave about."

Definitely, Lonnie at his Funkiest ! ! !

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 01/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, this is Lonnie Smith at his funkiest.A great 1970 session... Lou Donaldson protege Lonnie Smith was actually beating out Jimmy Smith in the Downbeat Polls as Best Organist at that time... Today (2001), Lonnie Smith has traded in the Cowboy hat for a turban, is back with Lou (sometimes tours with McGriff) and can often be heard playing stunning ballads and blues (but will still get VERY funky when called upon), but at the heyday of the era, he made the right move teaming up with baritone sax player Ronnie Cuber adding even more funky bottom to the groove.Just as Lou Donaldson's albums broke loose of many blues cliches a few years before, introducing a new funky boogaloo rhythm into Jazz, Lonnie breaks free of the boogaloo funk cliche's of the '60s and absorbs the funk of JB and then contemporary black radio. In fact, this is probably the least dated B3 CD of that era. He even does a bit of singing visa vis the enormously funky "Move Your Hand" which could of just as easily been taken up by George Clinton and P-Funk.Cool, Funky and Groovin', this CD along with Jimmy Smith's ROOT DOWN and Lou Donaldson's Midnight Creeper are definitely top picks for the true Hammond B-3 funkateer.When the heck is Blue Note going to re-reissue Reuben Wilson's BLUE MODE ??????????????"

Move Your Hand and You Will Follow

Martin Friedrich | Australia | 12/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lonnie Smith's greatest album. Lonnie Smith not Lonnie Liston Smith whom many people mistake him for. Both of these artists play the Hammond organ, but Lonnie Smith is far superior. Lonnie has that essential groove that remains through the whole album. Right from the first track you realise you are on one of Blue notes very special albums. "Charlie Brown" sets the scene while "Layin in the Cut" builds up the pace to an awe inspiring state on one of the greatest groove organ tracks I have ever heard. On the Title track "Move Your Hand" Lonnie matches his organ brilliance with unique heart felt vocals. On "Sunshine Superman" Lonnie continues the saga. The man is backed by awesome performances on guitar by Larry Mcgee and Rudy Jones on Tenor Saxaphone as well as many other musicians also giving excellent performances. This is an album that always remains by the stereo, mainly in it. You will always return to it. This is the exact music you would want to listen to in your favourite bar with dim lights a groovy armosphere and your favourite drink in your hand......Superb"