In the Beginning, Vols. 1 & 2

Turbaned organist Dr. Lonnie Smith (not a doctor) recorded with George Benson and Lou Donaldson before striking out on his own, making several albums for Blue Note in the late ’60s. He revisits much of that material on this double CD from 2013, but these are really the definitive performances, as he’s heard live with an octet that includes trumpeter Andy Gravish, tenor saxophonist and bass clarinetist John Ellis, baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall, flutist Ian Hendrickson-Smith, guitarist Ed Cherry, drummer Johnathan Blake, and conguero Johnny Rivero. The expanded horn section gives the music a broad canvas, and Smith is all over it, swooping and diving across the keyboard and getting into some surprisingly free zones, without ever losing the groove (Blake’s impeccable shuffle drumming does a lot to help with that). This is organ jazz at its most soulful and lush, bringing a classic sound into the 21st century.