Lonnie Smith ''Keep On Lovin'''

Lonnie Smith

”Keep On Lovin'''
( LP Groove Merchant Records, 1976 )
Catalog # GM 3312

Tracklisting:
A1 Keep On Lovin’ (6:00)
A2 Sizzle Stick (5:57)
A3 Lean Meat (6:16)
B1 What I Want (5:58)
B2 Filet-O-Sole (5:44)
B3 No Tears Tomorrow (5:08)

Personnel & Credits:
Arranged By – Brad Baker (tracks: A2 to B3)
Arranged By, Composed By – Bob Babbitt (tracks: B2),
Jerry Friedman (tracks: A1), Lance Quinn (tracks: A2, A3)
Artwork By [Design] – Ron Levine
Bass – Bob Babbitt , Will Lee (tracks: A3)
Composed By – Brad Baker (tracks: A2, A3) , Lonnie Smith (tracks: B1, B3)
Conductor, Arranged By – Brad Baker
Drums – Rick Morotta
Electric Piano [Fenderhodes], Keyboards, Vocals – Lonnie Smith
Engineer [Mix, Recording] – Tony Bongiovi
Flute, Saxophone [Alto] – George Young
Flute, Saxophone [Baritone] – Lew Del Gatto
French Horn – Fred Griffen
Guitar – Jerry Friedman, Lance Quinn
Other [Music Preparation] – Oscar Jaimes
Percussion – Jimmy Maelen
Photography – Chuck Stewart
Producer – Sonny Lester
Saxophone [Tenor] – Joseph Lovano
Strings – Fredrick Buldrini, Guy Lumia , Harold Kohan, Jesse Levy, Joe Randazzo,
Julian Barker, Norman Carr, Richard Locker, Richard Maximoff, Richard Sortomme, Tony Posk
Trombone – Barry Rogers
Trombone [Bass] – David Taylor
Trumpet – Alan Rubin , Randy Brecker

Notes:
Recorded at Media Sound August 1976.
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1976
All compositions published by Sonny Lester Music Publishing Co./Chappell Music Co. (ASCAP)
Distributed by PIP Records. A division of Pickwick International, Inc.
This album is also availabe on stereo 8 track tapes.
Randy Brecker appears courtesy of Arista Records.

Review:
Lonnie Smith embraces fusion for Keep on Lovin’, forsaking his signature Hammond B-3 for the Fender Rhodes–although the record veers close to mainstream R&B by virtually any metric, drawing obvious inspiration from Stevie Wonder classics like Innervisions, it’s a natural progression for Smith and a solid addition to his discography. Paired with arranger Brad Baker (of jazz-funk cult icons B. Baker’s Chocolate Company), Smith even assumes vocal chores on a handful of tracks, furthering the Stevie comparisons–purists will no doubt cry foul, but in truth the record’s electric sheen isn’t so far removed from his Blue Note heyday, and the energy and creativity of his playing demands respect regardless of context.
By Jason Ankeny (AMG)

By Pier