Internationally known as one of the premier jazz keyboardists in the history of the idiom, Dr. Lonnie Smith is a dominant talent and pace-setting proponent of the Hammond B3 Organ and widely recognized and gifted pianist. “Dr. Lonnie Smith is a phenomenal B3 burner who can light up a room with visceral intensity or lay down some of the nastiest funk ever played on an organ,” states Bil...
Internationally known as one of the premier jazz keyboardists in the history of the idiom, Dr. Lonnie Smith is a dominant talent and pace-setting proponent of the Hammond B3 Organ and widely recognized and gifted pianist. “Dr. Lonnie Smith is a phenomenal B3 burner who can light up a room with visceral intensity or lay down some of the nastiest funk ever played on an organ,” states Bill Milkowski in JazzTimes. Lonnie has been at the forefront of the jazz scene since he was named “Top Organist” by Downbeat Magazine in 1969. Recently, Lonnie was voted the “Organ Keyboardist of the Year” in 2003, 2004 and 2005 by the Jazz Journalist Association.
Lonnie tours regularly throughout the United States and Europe and has performed at major world jazz festivals with Dizzy Gillespie, Grover Washington, Jr., Ron Carter, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Scott, Frank Foster, Leon Thomas, Willis Jackson and other prominent jazz artists. His versatility as a musician has caused him to be in demand with rhythm and blues greats Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Etta James, Esther Phillips, the Impressions and the Coasters.
Lonnie was born into a musical family in Buffalo, NY where his mother introduced him to gospel, classical and jazz music. As a young man in the 1950's, Smith sang in several groups including the Teen Kings and the Supremes. A music store owner in Buffalo, Art Kubera, gave Lonnie his first organ. Lonnie devised his own play-by-ear method and within a few months, he was on the road with a regional touring group. It wasn’t long before George Benson hired him.
Lonnie has produced over 30 albums as a leader and has been featured on over 70 more including recordings with George Benson, David “Fathead” Newman and Lou Donaldson.
