Hailing from Richmond, VA, Jazz and Soul great Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr. was born December 28, 1940. Music quickly filled his bones with influences from his father and Sam Cooke, and he learned to play the Piano, Tuba, and Trumpet in high school. He graduated from Morgan State in Baltimore, MD with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Music Education. After graduation, he went on to play with a live house band at the Royal Theatre (Baltimore).
In 1963, Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr., moved to New York. From that time through 1965, he played for Betty Carter, Roland Kirk, and joined Art Blakey’s sextet- ‘The Jazz Messengers’ (together with Miles Davis). From 1966- 1973, Lonnie went on to record with the band and a few others. In 1973, he formed his own group, ‘Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes’ with his partner Pharoah Sanders (x group). Under his own group, he accomplished/released 15 albums. In the 1980s, Smith began to take interest with a new genre. He worked with legendary rapper Guru (RIP) and even appeared on his ‘Jazzmatazz Vol.1’ album in 1993.
Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr. has not recorded an album since 1998, but still continues to travel all over the world touring and performing live in Europe, Japan, etc. On top of that, several artists (Digable Planets, Big Krit, Mary J. Blige, Total, Young Jeezy, Joey Badass, Crucial Conflict etc.) have sampled his music. Most are familiar with his ‘Garden of Peace’ cut which was sampled on Jay-Z’s classic ‘Dead President’s II'. However, since Spitta is here tonight for a show in DC…I figured I’d go with this one.
Here’s the Currensy “2 Much” sample …. “A Song of Love” by. Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr.
. In 1963, Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr., moved to New York. From that time through 1965, he played for Betty Carter, Roland Kirk, and joined Art Blakey’s sextet- ‘The Jazz Messengers’ (together with Miles Davis). From 1966- 1973, Lonnie went on to record with the band and a few others. In 1973, he formed his own group, ‘Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes’ with his partner Pharoah Sanders (x group). Under his own group, he accomplished/released 15 albums. In the 1980s, Smith began to take interest with a new genre. He worked with legendary rapper Guru (RIP) and even appeared on his ‘Jazzmatazz Vol.1’ album in 1993.
Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr. has not recorded an album since 1998, but still continues to travel all over the world touring and performing live in Europe, Japan, etc. On top of that, several artists (Digable Planets, Big Krit, Mary J. Blige, Total, Young Jeezy, Joey Badass, Crucial Conflict etc.) have sampled his music. Most are familiar with his ‘Garden of Peace’ cut which was sampled on Jay-Z’s classic ‘Dead President’s II'. However, since Spitta is here tonight for a show in DC…I figured I’d go with this one.
Here’s the Currensy “2 Much” sample …. “A Song of Love” by. Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr.
Circa 1991.
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