LONNIE SMITH Vinilo y CD

Review: Mr Bongo continues to take us deep into the recorded work of Lonnie Smith with the reissue of this 1975 LP from the legendary jazz organist. It's an expansive, daring soul-jazz excursion which embellishes the heavyweight grooves with experimental, discordant tones which reach extraterrestrial heights, not least on the eyes-closed escapism of 'Spirits Free'. While Smith may have turned his hand to smoother sounds at certain points in his career, this is testament to the impact free jazz had on his development through the 70s. Crucially though, the music never derails into pure chaos, and the soulful sentiment of the music shines through even in its wildest stretches.