Lonnie Liston Smith – Visions Of A New World (Pure Pleasure / Flying Dutchman) LP

Product Description

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Pianist Lonnie Liston Smith began his true professional career with Pharoah Sanders and then moved on to the very electric Miles Davis band before embarking on his own journey — one that took him deep into the waters of pop music and disco by the late ’70s. On Visions of a New World, Smith, accompanied by his working unit the Cosmic Echoes, digs deeper into the soul-jazz vein that he had begun exploring on Expansions and Funk Extraction in 1973 and 1974, respectively. In 1975, Smith was looking for a smoother, more soulful groove than he had displayed previously. Elements of the earlier band are in evidence: Vocalist Donald Smith is still on board, as are Dave Hubbard and Cecil Bridgewater on horns. Reggie Lucas even helps out on guitar in one or two places, and Ray Armando helps the percussion section. Despite these fiery players, the music here is strictly a late-night seduction/meditation groove. Tracks like the opener, “A Chance for Peace,” keep the funk in mid-tempo while rounding off the edges, but “Love Beams” sounds exactly like its name. “Colours of the Rainbow” is a duet between Donald and Lonnie on keyboard and vocals, and “Devika” is the first place where the groove exceeds the mood. Latin rhythms, loosely woven horn lines, funky backbeats, and a slinky melody bring the whole thing up a couple of notches. The only other place the album heats up is on the final two tracks: the second part of the title suite — when Donald Smith stops singing — and “Summer Nights,” when the concentration is on pure movement and sweaty, shimmering late-night funk. by ThomJurek/AMG

Personnel: Bongos, Percussion – Angel Allende (tracks: A1 to B1, B3, B4)
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killian (tracks: A1 to B1, B3, B4)
Drums – Art Gore (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B3, B4), Wilby Fletcher (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B3, B4)
Electric Bass – Greg Maker (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B3, B4)
Flute – Donald Smith (tracks: A2, B1, B4)
Guitar – Reggie Lucas (tracks: A1, B3)
Horns – Dave Hubbard (tracks: A1, A2, B1, B3, B4)
Keyboards – Lonnie Liston Smith
Percussion – Michael Carvin (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B3, B4), Ray Armando (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B3, B4)
Soprano Saxophone – Dave Hubbard (tracks: A4)
Trombone – Clifford Adams (tracks: A1, A3)
Trumpet – Cecil Bridgewater (tracks: A1, B3)
Vocals – Donald Smith (tracks: A1, A3, B2)

Produced by – Bob Thiele, Lonnie Liston Smith
Mixed by – Dave Wittman, Lonnie Liston Smith, Michael Carvin

Recorded in 1975 at Electric Lady Studios

Tracklist:

A
A Chance For Peace
Love Beams
Colors Of The Rainbow
Devika (Goddess)
Sunset

B2
Visions Of A New World (Phase I)
Visions Of A New World (Phase II)
Summer Nights

Pure Pleasure / Flying Dutchman BDL1-1196