Astral Traveling [Original recording remastered]

Lonnie Liston Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 9, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00005TOXW
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,433 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #59 in Music > R&B > Funk > Jazz Funk

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith came up playing with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Max Roach, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Pharoah Sanders before landing in Miles Davis's group from 1972-74. Recorded in 1973, Astral Traveling is Smith's debut as a leader. The album has the same swirling and ecstatic highs as Alice Coltrane's or Sanders's music--the extremely intense "I Mani (Faith)" is particularly reminiscent of Sanders's classic Impulse! sides of the era. Yet, armed with a strong sense of groove, Smith is his own man, creating muscular, flowing lines on Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano that are seemingly endless. He's also well supported throughout by the aptly named Cosmic Echoes, who texture the celestial funk jazz with hand drums and Eastern percussion, as well as the more typical jazz bass, guitar, and saxophone. (Unheralded saxophonist George Barron is particularly self-assured and impressive throughout.) Repackaged with additional liner notes, this reissue also includes four unreleased, alternate versions of songs from the album. --Tad Hendrickson

Product Description

First time on CD. French 24-bit remastered digipak reissue of 1973 album that's out-of-print in the U.S., originally released on Flying Dutchman. Includes four bonus unreleased alternate takes of 'Astral Traveling', 'Rejuvination', 'Imani' & 'In Search Of Truth'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic, December 20, 2009

By 

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber Print DJ ... (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Astral Traveling (Audio CD)

By the early 1970s, jazz needed some chill. Free, fussion, all the social and musical upevil that rock jazz, along with America, in the 60s was just making everything too raw.

Enter Lonnie Liston Smith. He may have used an electric keybord, but he sure was not Keith Jarret or Joe Ziwinal. Smith used the keys to create mellow, shimmering blankets of notes. Nice dreams.

These were so textured and layered and colorful, soloists could blow in them however they liked--it was modal jazz without any of the drive.

Of course, great musicans pick up on the nuances the music begs for, and so the solos in Smiths music are light as a feather, or Smiths touch on the keyboards. You almost get the sense everyone is playing half awake--not that the playing is not outstanding, but like us, the band is lured into that nice little drift we all long for.

This is mood music, but also has a lot of subtance. The layering, and there is a lot, creates texture and weight, we are never at a loss as this music shifts with new sounds each listen.

Enjoy. Go to sleep my baby. Enjoy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Dated Style of Jazz But An Album That Holds Up Well, November 21, 2009

By 

Sussex Pond Pudding (Somewhere in the desert, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Astral Traveling (Audio CD)

This album came out in the middle of the Afro-American consciousness/Black Power era in jazz (there are so many different names for this jazz style that I simply equate it to the social phenomenon). I have never been much a fan of it, with a few notable exceptions (Pharoah Sanders being among them) but I put this album on this morning and was amazed at how well it holds up some 35 or so years later. It is far more accessible than late period Coltrane and far less pretentious than say, Albert Ayler and avoids the experimentation for experimentation's sake ramblings of Miles Davis. Despite its title it is a cohesive and beautiful album with a band whose members have there feet thouroughly planted on the ground regardless of what kind of traveling they were doing with their minds (another reviewer suggests indulging in a "J" while listening to this...I don't think that gives the boys in the band enough credit as the music stands on its own quite well). All in all a nice rediscovery for me and perhaps a new discovery for you. Highly recommended. The sound is superb on this reissue as well. As with so many of my favorite albums it appears that this one is out of print too so buy it while you can. I guess it lost BMG some money and one of the record execs had to play golf on a public course (!) so they decided to 86 this work of art. Hurray for America!

5.0 out of 5 stars Is there any question??, October 25, 2009

By 

zeak "zeak" (pg cnty md) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Astral Traveling (Audio CD)

This mans music speaks for itself!! Beautiful ,mellow,thoughtful,spacey ,groovy...If I miss anything just let me know.To me his music is ultimate for relaxing.Purchase all of his music from the 60's and especially the 70s!!!