Hailing Dr. Lonnie Smith, and the Magnificent Legacy of the Hammond B3 Organ

'The deep groove of the Hammond B3 organ, which first emerged in the mid-1950s, has long represented the sound of a soulful proletariat. Jazz organ combos married the sanctified cry of the Black church with the seductive call of the blues. Moving into the 1960s and early '70s, players like Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, Jack McDuff, Don Patterson and Charles Earland found commercial success, bolstering a thriving subgenre often known as soul jazz. And any conversation about this tradition, or the instrument itself, would be incomplete without serious appraisal of Dr. Lonnie Smith. Through his imaginative blend of sonic explorations and head-nodding, funky rhythms, Dr. Lonnie — a 2017 NEA Jazz Master — has remained one of the top practitioners on the B3 for over 50 years. His new Blue Note album, Breathe, mostly recorded at Jazz Standard, is a perfect example of a master craftsman channeling vibrations through the instrument and a Leslie speaker, and into the bodies of a rapt audience.'