A double dose of soul is just what the doctor
ordered. Dr. Lonnie Smith that is, the reigning old-
school Hammond B3 maestro who’s been handing
out funkified prescriptions since breaking in with
George Benson in the mid-1960s. Another 1960s B3
avatar, Wilson, leads the aptly named Godfathers of
Groove featuring funk drum legend Purdie and guitarist Green Jr, son of the late soul jazz guitar great.

Read program notes or Download program notes

A double dose of soul is just what the doctor ordered. Dr. Lonnie Smith that is, the reigning old-school Hammond B3 maestro who’s been handing out funkified prescriptions since breaking in with George Benson in the mid- 1960s. Another ‘60s B3 avatar, Reuben Wilson, leads the aptly named Godfathers of Groove featuring funk drum legend Purdie and guitarist Green Jr., son of the late soul jazz guitar great.

Smith, who was awarded his doctoral honorific by his peers, came up during the B3’s glory years and is arguably the most exciting organ player on the scene, an indefatigably inventive musician who has recorded albums exploring the music of Beck and Jimi Hendrix. A seminal figure in the soul jazz movement, he put the groove into Lou Donaldson’s classic 1967 Blue Note record Alligator Boogaloo. His own Blue Note sessions such as Think and Turning Point showcased some of the era’s most prodigious improvisors, including Lee Morgan, Idris Muhammad, David “Fathead” Newman and Bennie Maupin. More recently, he has released a series of acclaimed albums on Palmetto, leading the Jazz Journalist Association to vote him “Organ/Keyboardist of the Year” consistently since 2003.

Godfathers of Groove leader Wilson was a ‘60s Blue Note labelmate with Smith who also recorded several excellent soul jazz sessions. He’s joined by Purdie, the supremely funky drummer whose rolling shuffle beat animated so many hits it was dubbed “the Purdie shuffle.” His credits include everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and King Curtis to Aretha Franklin and Steely Dan.

Close program notes