Dr. Lonnie Smith
Boogaloo to Beck
(Scufflin’ – 2003)
by Paula Edelstein
Remember the boogaloo? Remember rock artist Beck Hansen? Well guess what came together in the creative mind of Dr. Lonnie Smith? The ingenious soul-jazz organ master who has kept the genre alive for nearly 40 years has released 11 funky renditions of some of Beck’s most heard songs and titled it BOOGALOO TO BECK, that’s what! Dr. Smith’s special guest, is none other that the tenor saxophonist David “Fathead” Newman, who remains highly regarded for his mastery of the soul jazz genre.
Together they reach deep into their souls and have come up with “Paper Tiger” “Tropicalia” on which Newman plays one of his best solos on the session, “Mixed Buziness” and “The Devil’s Haircut.” Smith is scorching hot on the latter, burning on his solos them simmering on his comps behind Doug Munro’s guitar playing. This is one of Dr. Lonnie Smith’s better recordings since it has all of the excitement of a “live” performance. Considering Beck’s rock n’ roll heat that inspired this session, it’s a wonder that they didn’t jam it live. Nevertheless, it’s worth adding to your collection.
Reprinted with permission of…
