Dr. Lonnie Smith is one of the greatest organists in the history of jazz.
This July, he'll reach a milestone: his 70th birthday.
So, the Doctor is doing something special to mark the occasion. He's starting his own record company--Pilgrimage Productions--to release what will be his first entirely self-produced recordings.
The first release--THE HEALER LIVE--is an exciting live document of the music that Doc's working trio (featuring guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Jamire Williams) has been wowing audiences around the world with over the past couple of years. It will be released this Summer.
But folks, there's MORE....and that's where you come in!
On March 27th, 28th and 29th--in a warm, beautifully appointed and refurbished warehouse space in Queens, New York, just five minutes from Manhattan--the Doctor will dig into an old-school type of album that's unheard of these days, in front of a live, in-house audience. The dates will be recorded straight to analog tape, giving it the classic feel and sound it deserves. And, the entire event will also be filmed for a simultaneous DVD release.
The Doctor's hand-picked supporting cast for the session will be a who's who of the current scene: Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums), "Little" Johnny Rivera (congas), Ed Cherry (guitar), Andy Gravish (trumpet), Ian Hendrickson-Smith (alto saxophone, woodwinds), John Ellis (tenor saxophone, woodwinds), and Jason Marshall (baritone saxophone, woodwinds). All leaders in their own right, they've also backed such heavyweights as Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Amy Winehouse, Al Green, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Roy Hargrove, Eddie Palmieri and many more.
And then, there's the..."Doctor Quotient."
Those who have seen Dr. Lonnie Smith in a club or in concert--whether with George Benson or Lou Donaldson in the 1960's or 1970's, or as the leader of his own dynamic groups--are well aware of how much he...
Burns...live.
This reputation has garnered him many Organist of the Year awards from Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Journalists Association to the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. What's gotten lost throughout the Doc's fifty-year career, however, is his adeptness as a composer. So, these March sessions will bring that part of him to light, too--not only revisiting many originals from his 1966-1971 songbook, but also introducing previously unrecorded compositions.
With the superb band we've assembled, the amazing sound of the studio we're using, and the energy of a live audience--well, think of Doc's “Live at Club Mozambique,” melded with Cannonball Adderley's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and Coltrane's "My Favorite Things," and you begin to get the idea...
An event this ambitious needs funding, of course. So, we're asking you--the people who have been listening to and loving Dr. Lonnie Smith’s music for years--to help make it all happen.
Look to your right and you will see a list of various "pledge" amounts. Make a pledge at any amount, and you'll get a bonus reward, with our thanks. Please browse through the list of pledges and see if one is the right fit for you. (Please note that the support we're asking for is still only a fraction of the entire cost of the project. Dr. Lonnie's record label has already been launched--it just needs a crucial extra "kickstart" to pull off this special event.) If you pledge...well, you'll be a part of jazz history.
For anybody not aware of how Kickstarter functions, we only get the money if our entire goal is reached. If we miss the goal we get nothing. Nada. (And if we are successful, international backers please add an additional $5 to your pledge to help cover shipping costs).
So let's gather around a true artist and show him how much we really love him and his music.
Sincerely, The Pilgrimage Productions Team.
Also: please note...
If you'd like to attend the recording sessions, reserved admission is available, at $30 per person. (No walk-ins will be considered.) Just email drlonniereservations@gmail.com, and we'll email you back to confirm your seat. (There's a 50-seat maximum each night.) Food and beverage service will be available. Hurry, and get your tickets while they last!
More details on:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490026334/dr-lonnie-smith-embarks-on-first-self-produced-rec
This July, he'll reach a milestone: his 70th birthday.
So, the Doctor is doing something special to mark the occasion. He's starting his own record company--Pilgrimage Productions--to release what will be his first entirely self-produced recordings.
The first release--THE HEALER LIVE--is an exciting live document of the music that Doc's working trio (featuring guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Jamire Williams) has been wowing audiences around the world with over the past couple of years. It will be released this Summer.
But folks, there's MORE....and that's where you come in!
On March 27th, 28th and 29th--in a warm, beautifully appointed and refurbished warehouse space in Queens, New York, just five minutes from Manhattan--the Doctor will dig into an old-school type of album that's unheard of these days, in front of a live, in-house audience. The dates will be recorded straight to analog tape, giving it the classic feel and sound it deserves. And, the entire event will also be filmed for a simultaneous DVD release.
The Doctor's hand-picked supporting cast for the session will be a who's who of the current scene: Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums), "Little" Johnny Rivera (congas), Ed Cherry (guitar), Andy Gravish (trumpet), Ian Hendrickson-Smith (alto saxophone, woodwinds), John Ellis (tenor saxophone, woodwinds), and Jason Marshall (baritone saxophone, woodwinds). All leaders in their own right, they've also backed such heavyweights as Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Amy Winehouse, Al Green, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Roy Hargrove, Eddie Palmieri and many more.
And then, there's the..."Doctor Quotient."
Those who have seen Dr. Lonnie Smith in a club or in concert--whether with George Benson or Lou Donaldson in the 1960's or 1970's, or as the leader of his own dynamic groups--are well aware of how much he...
Burns...live.
This reputation has garnered him many Organist of the Year awards from Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Journalists Association to the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. What's gotten lost throughout the Doc's fifty-year career, however, is his adeptness as a composer. So, these March sessions will bring that part of him to light, too--not only revisiting many originals from his 1966-1971 songbook, but also introducing previously unrecorded compositions.
With the superb band we've assembled, the amazing sound of the studio we're using, and the energy of a live audience--well, think of Doc's “Live at Club Mozambique,” melded with Cannonball Adderley's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and Coltrane's "My Favorite Things," and you begin to get the idea...
An event this ambitious needs funding, of course. So, we're asking you--the people who have been listening to and loving Dr. Lonnie Smith’s music for years--to help make it all happen.
Look to your right and you will see a list of various "pledge" amounts. Make a pledge at any amount, and you'll get a bonus reward, with our thanks. Please browse through the list of pledges and see if one is the right fit for you. (Please note that the support we're asking for is still only a fraction of the entire cost of the project. Dr. Lonnie's record label has already been launched--it just needs a crucial extra "kickstart" to pull off this special event.) If you pledge...well, you'll be a part of jazz history.
For anybody not aware of how Kickstarter functions, we only get the money if our entire goal is reached. If we miss the goal we get nothing. Nada. (And if we are successful, international backers please add an additional $5 to your pledge to help cover shipping costs).
So let's gather around a true artist and show him how much we really love him and his music.
Sincerely, The Pilgrimage Productions Team.
Also: please note...
If you'd like to attend the recording sessions, reserved admission is available, at $30 per person. (No walk-ins will be considered.) Just email drlonniereservations@gmail.com, and we'll email you back to confirm your seat. (There's a 50-seat maximum each night.) Food and beverage service will be available. Hurry, and get your tickets while they last!
More details on:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490026334/dr-lonnie-smith-embarks-on-first-self-produced-rec
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