Astral Traveling is the debut album by keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, featuring performances recorded in 1973 and released by the Flying Dutchman label.
One of Lonnie Liston Smith's most spiritual sessions, and the record that most clearly shows his roots with Pharoah Sanders!
The vibe here is much more jazz-based than on some of Lonnie's other records for Flying Dutchman – with Smith playing as much acoustic piano as he does electric, using the former in long-spiralling lines that have a beautifully meditative quality, and which give the album a real Strata East-like sound.
Mtume and Sonny Morgan play percussion, Cecil McBee plays bass, and the real star of the album may well be George Barron – who turns in some beautiful Sonny Fortune-like work on tenor and soprano sax!
Lonnie Liston Smith was 32 when, in 1973, he finally got around to recording his first album as a leader, Astral Traveling.
By that time, the pianist/keyboardist had a great deal of sideman experience under his belt, and this superb debut made it clear that former employers like Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, and Betty Carter had taught him well.
One hears a lot of Sanders, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner influence on Astral Traveling; Smith obviously shares their passion for all things spiritual.
Nonetheless, this LP leaves no doubt that the improviser is very much his own man and has a wealth of brilliant ideas of his own; thankfully, he has a cohesive band to help him carry them out.
On Astral Traveling, Smith's 1973 edition of the Cosmic Echoes includes George Barron on soprano and tenor sax, Joe Beck on guitar, Cecil McBee on bass, David Lee Jr. on drums, James Mtume and Sonny Morgan on percussion, Badal Roy on Indian tabla drums, and Geeta Vashi on the Indian tamboura.
An impressive lineup, and one that shows a great understanding of Smith's spiritual nature. Ninety-five percent of the time, Astral Traveling is serene and tranquil; but on "I Mani (Faith)," the unexpected interesting happens when Barron goes outside during his sax solo and gets into the type of dissonant, forceful screaming one would expect from Albert Ayler or late-period Coltrane.
"I Mani (Faith)" has a hauntingly peaceful melody, but Barron's out-of-left-field solo makes it the most avant-garde track that Smith ever recorded as a leader.
Produced by the late Bob Thiele -- an eclectic heavyweight who worked with everyone from Coltrane, Ayler, and Charles Mingus to Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong -- Astral Traveling is among Smith's most essential and rewarding albums.
Tracklist
- "Astral Traveling" − 5:30
- "Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord" − 6:30
- "Rejuvenation" − 5:50
- "I Mani (Faith)" − 6:10
- "In Search of Truth" − 7:04
- "Aspirations" − 4:20
All compositions by Lonnie Liston Smith
Companies, etc.
- Record Company – Flying Dutchman Productions, Ltd.
- Published By – Cosmic Echoes Publishing Co.
- Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
Credits
- Bass – Cecil McBee
- Congas, Percussion – James Mtume, Sonny Morgan
- Cover, Liner Notes, Photography – Charles Stewart
- Design – Haig Adishian
- Drums – David Lee, Jr.
- Guitar – Joe Beck
- Piano, Electric Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
- Producer – Bob Thiele
- Producer [Assistant] – Bob Simpson
- Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – George Barron
- Tabla – Badal Roy
- Tambura [Tamboura] – Geeta Vashi
Notes
Released: 1973
Recorded: 1973 Studio New York City
Genre: Spiritual jazz
Length: 39:12
Producer: Bob Thiele
Label - Flying Dutchman
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