Breathe

Dr. Lonnie Smith - Breathe
Blue Note Records
Reviewed by Subroot 2022-01-31

Breathe captures the Hammond B-3 organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith during his 75th birthday run at the Jazz Standard in NYC in 2017, the same week he recorded his acclaimed trio album All In My Mind. 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. Two additional studio tracks that open and close the album present the unique collaboration between Doc and Iggy Pop including a sublime cover of Donovan’s 1966 hit “Sunshine Superman.” (From Blue Note)

FFC clean
Favorites: 6**, 1, 2, 4

1. Why Can't We Live Together Feat. Iggy Pop - hand drums, smooth track, singing from Iggy are great, nice guitar solo
2. Bright Eyes (Live) * - uptempo swing, some crazy licks from Dr. Smith, and a solo from Marshall
3. Too Damn Hot (Live) - very ordinary down tempo swing
4. Track 9 (Live) * - upbeat, more free form, Ellis and Jones take turns shredding on horns
5. World Weeps (Live) - 4 part song, switches between slow funeral procession vibe and mid tempo energy. Sorrowful
6. Pilgrimage (Live) ** - Beautiful singing from Alicia Olatuja, soulful and slow
7. Epistrophy (Live) - Funky, syncopated mid-up tempo, shorter track, but kind of long outro
8. Sunshine Superman Feat. Iggy Pop - Just jamming, nice vocals from Iggy, but not too much happening