Monday, September 20, 2004  

It's Time for the Turbinator

Dr. Lonnie Smith, "Too Damn Hot"
Dr. Lonnie Smith, "Back Track"
from Too Damn Hot (Palmetto, 2004)

I have several photos and posters of jazz musicians hanging in my office, from Andrew Hill to Soweto Kinch to Vandermark 5 to Russell Carlson. But the one image that sits above my desk and looks down on me all day long is a great shot (not shown above) of the extra-stanky organist Dr. Lonnie Smith by Jimmy Katz. Dr. Lonnie's gaze in the photo is beneficent (spectral even), so whenever my energy starts to lag I look up at Doc Funkenstein for spiritual inspiration. And for years now that photo has come alive and shouts back, "I'm too damn hot!" Since my office is temperate year-round, I've always wondered what the hell Dr. Smith's complaining about.

Then I heard these trax and I finally knew what he meant.
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Check out more downloads from Palmetto Records, including Dr. Lonnie's "Woozy," which is an outtake from Too Damn Hot.
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Here's a long Before & After (aka Blindfold Test, aka Invisible Jukebox, aka excellent magazine filler) I did with Doc Lon in 2001. You can play along as well. (The opening line to this B&A has to be one of the worst things I've ever written. For some reason, B3 players bring out the worst puns in writers.)
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All About Jazz's profile of Doc.
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Buy Too Damn Hot when it comes out Oct. 12.

Posted by CP | Link |

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