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Frogtoon Music
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Lonnie Liston Smith
Artist Biography For Lonnie Liston Smith
When Lonnie Liston Smith Made The Transition From Sideman To Leader In 1973 It Was The Beginning Of A Fusion/crossover/post-Bop Band He Dubbed Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes. The Acoustic Pianist/electric Keyboardist Who Was Born In Richmond VA On December 28 1940 Should Not Be Confused With Soul-Jazz/hard Bop Organist Lonnie Smith. This Smith Would Have Had An Impressive Resumé Even If He Had Never Formed A Band Of His Own. In The '60s Or Early '70s He Had Been A Sidemen For Among Others Pharoah Sanders Rahsaan Roland Kirk Gato Barbieri Singer Betty Carter And Trumpeter Miles Davis. In Fact Smith Was Still In Davis' Employ When He Signed With Producer Bob Thiele's RCA-Distributed Flying Dutchman Label And Recorded His First Album As A Leader Astral Traveling Which Thiele Produced . Nonetheless The Cosmic Echoes Were A Major Step Forward For Smith -- The Improviser Had A Lot More Time To Devote To His Own Compositions And He Was Free To Concentrate On A Very Spiritual Type Of Fusion That Had A Variety Of Influences. The Post-Bop Of Model Explorers Like Coltrane Sanders Kirk Yusef Lateef McCoy Tyner And Charles Lloyd Was A Heavy Influence On Smith's Composing Since All Of Those Artists Shared The Cosmic Echoes' Spiritual Concerns. But The Cosmic Echoes Were Hardly Jazz Purists. Their Instrumental Fusion Combined Those Post-Bop Influences With Funk Pop And Rock And Some Of Their Best-Known Vocal Numbers Which Include 1979's "Space Princess" And 1983's "Never Too Late" Were Outright R&B. It Was On April 24 1973 That Smith Recorded Astral Traveling And Led His First Cosmic Echoes Lineup Which Included George Barron Soprano And Tenor Sax Joe Beck Guitar Cecil McBee Bass David Lee Jr. Drums James Mtume Percussion Sonny Morgan Percussion Badal Roy Tabla Drums And Geeta Vashi Tamboura . Astral Traveling Was Entirely Instrumental But It Wasn't Long Before Smith Added A Vocalist To The Cosmic Echoes His Brother Donald Smith. Although Donald Smith Had Helped His Brother Put Together The Cosmic Echoes' First Lineup He Isn't Actually Employed On Astral Traveling -- 1974's Thiele-Produced Cosmic Funk Was The First Cosmic Echoes Album That Featured Him On Vocals. From 1974 On The Cosmic Echoes' Albums Were Typically About 80 Percent Instrumental But Included A Few Vocal Offerings. Subsequent Cosmic Echoes Projects Included 1975's Expansions 1975's Visions Of A New World 1976's Reflections Of A Golden Dream And 1977's Renaissance All Of Which Were On Either Flying Dutchman Or RCA Proper. Along The Way The Cosmic Echoes Had More Than Their Share Of Personnel Changes. When The Group Recorded A Live Album For RCA In 1977 The Lineup Included Smith On Piano And Keyboards His Brother Donald On Vocals Dave Hubbard On Tenor And Soprano Sax Al Anderson On Electric Bass Ronald Miller On Electric Guitar And Hollywood Barker On Drums -- A Lineup That Except For Lonnie Liston Smith Himself Is Totally Different From The Cosmic Echoes Lineup Heard On 1973's Astral Traveling. It Was In 1978 That Smith And His Cosmic Echoes Left RCA And Moved To Columbia To Record Loveland Which Was A Respectable Seller At Least By Jazz Standards And Fared Well Among Fusion Crossover And Quiet Storm Fans. Smith's Next Columbia Album Exotic Mysteries Gave Us The Single "Space Princess " Which Featured Donald On Lead Vocals And Became A Minor Hit. Although Exotic Mysteries Was Primarily An Instrumental Fusion Album "Space Princess" Wasn't Jazz At All -- The Tune Is Funk-Disco But Still Has That Mystic Cosmic Echoes Vibe. Some People Felt That When Smith And His Cosmic Echoes Were Recording For Columbia In The Late '70s And Early '80s They Became Too Slick And Commercial -- Nonetheless The Group Still Had Integrity And Was Still Enjoyable And Interesting During Its Columbia Period. Donald Smith Temporarily Left The Cosmic Echoes After Exotic Mysteries And On 1979's Song For The Children He Was Replaced By Singer James "Crabbe" Robinson Who Is Also Employed On 1980s Love Is The Answer . And Robinson Wasn't The Only Person Who Passed Through The Cosmic Echoes In The Late '70s Or Early '80s. Others Who Came On Board During Smith's Columbia Period Included Guitarist Abdul Wali Bassist Pee Wee Ford Drummer Lino Reyes And Percussionist Lawrence Killian -- Like Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Could Be A Revolving Door. Donald Smith Ended Up Returning To The Fold In The Early '80s Which Is Also When The Cosmic Echoes Were Reunited With Thiele Who Signed Smith To His New Doctor Jazz Label . One Of Songs That Smith's Cosmic Echoes Recorded For Doctor Jazz Was The Urban/quiet Storm Vocal Number "Never Too Late " Which Was Released As A Single And Became A Minor Hit. In The Mid-'80s The Cosmic Echoes Unofficially Called It Quits And Smith Moved On To Other Things. But The Pianist/keyboardist Who Turned 60 In 2000 Returned To A Cosmic Echoes-Minded Approach In 1998 When He Was Reunited With His Brother Donald And Featured Him On The Album Transformation Which Came Out On Smith's Own Label Loveland Records . In 2002 Sony's Reissue-Oriented Legacy Recordings Looked Back On The Cosmic Echoes' Late '70s And Early '80s Output With A Two-CD Retrospective Titled Explorations The Columbia Years.
50 Top Music Tracks For Lonnie Liston Smith - Frogtoon Music
Lonnie Liston Smith - Expansions
Lonnie Liston Smith - Summer Nights
Lonnie Liston Smith - A Chance For Peace
Lonnie Liston Smith - Inner Beauty
Lonnie Liston Smith - Bridge Through Time
Lonnie Liston Smith - A Garden Of Peace
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sunset
Lonnie Liston Smith - Quiet Moments
Lonnie Liston Smith - Colors Of The Rainbow
Lonnie Liston Smith - Love Beams
Lonnie Liston Smith - Cosmic Funk
Lonnie Liston Smith - Devika Goddess
Lonnie Liston Smith - Give Peace A Chance Make Love
Lonnie Liston Smith - Shadows
Lonnie Liston Smith - Desert Nights
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sais Egypt
Lonnie Liston Smith - Space Princess
Lonnie Liston Smith - Space Lady
Lonnie Liston Smith - Journey Into Love
Lonnie Liston Smith - Footprints
Lonnie Liston Smith - Golden Dreams
Lonnie Liston Smith - Summer Days
Lonnie Liston Smith - Exotic Mysteries
Lonnie Liston Smith - Floating Through Space
Lonnie Liston Smith - In The Park
Lonnie Liston Smith - Mystic Woman
Lonnie Liston Smith - My Love
Lonnie Liston Smith - Astral Traveling
Lonnie Liston Smith - Voodoo Woman
Lonnie Liston Smith - Magical Journey
Lonnie Liston Smith - Peaceful Ones
Lonnie Liston Smith - Enchantress
Lonnie Liston Smith - Beautiful Woman
Lonnie Liston Smith - Aspirations
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sunburst
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sunbeams
Lonnie Liston Smith - Peace
Lonnie Liston Smith - Bright Moments
Lonnie Liston Smith - Springtime Magic
Lonnie Liston Smith - A New Spring
Lonnie Liston Smith - Night Flower
Lonnie Liston Smith - Quiet Dawn
Lonnie Liston Smith - Dreams Of Tomorrow
Lonnie Liston Smith - The Love I See In Your Eyes
Lonnie Liston Smith - Speak About It
Lonnie Liston Smith - We Can Dream
Lonnie Liston Smith - Get Down Everybody It's Time For World Peace
Lonnie Liston Smith - In Search Of Truth
Lonnie Liston Smith - Free And Easy
Lonnie Liston Smith - Renaissance
50 Top Music Lyrics For Lonnie Liston Smith - Frogtoon Music
Lonnie Liston Smith - Expansions | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Summer Nights | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - A Chance For Peace | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Inner Beauty | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Bridge Through Time | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - A Garden Of Peace | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sunset | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Quiet Moments | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Colors Of The Rainbow | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Love Beams | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Cosmic Funk | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Devika Goddess | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Give Peace A Chance Make Love | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Shadows | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Desert Nights | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sais Egypt | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Space Princess | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Space Lady | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Journey Into Love | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Footprints | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Golden Dreams | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Summer Days | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Exotic Mysteries | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Floating Through Space | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - In The Park | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Mystic Woman | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - My Love | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Astral Traveling | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Voodoo Woman | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Magical Journey | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Peaceful Ones | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Enchantress | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Beautiful Woman | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Aspirations | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sunburst | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Sunbeams | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Peace | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Bright Moments | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Springtime Magic | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - A New Spring | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Night Flower | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Quiet Dawn | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Dreams Of Tomorrow | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - The Love I See In Your Eyes | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Speak About It | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - We Can Dream | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Get Down Everybody It's Time For World Peace | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - In Search Of Truth | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Free And Easy | Lyrics
Lonnie Liston Smith - Renaissance | Lyrics
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