Pianist and Cosmic Jazz Legend, Lonnie Liston Smith

26th May 2023

Lonnie Liston Smith is a jazz legend. He’s a pianist and keyboard player. He’s worked with Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye. Smith is a master of the Fender Rhodes – the electric piano that helped define a movement in music that eventually became known as Cosmic Jazz. Smith joins us to talk about his first record in 25 years, and his humble beginnings. Plus, Smith’s records have been sampled a lot in hip-hop and electronic music. He’ll talk about the records that caught him most by surprise.

Episode notes

(Photo: Jazz is Dead)

Lonnie Liston Smith is a jazz legend.

He’s a pianist and keyboard player. He’s worked with Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye. Smith is a master of the Fender Rhodes – the electric piano that helped define a movement in music that eventually became known as Cosmic Jazz.

Cosmic Jazz is having a moment – it’s in the work of new jazz vanguards like Kamasi Washington and Terrace Martin. The genre’s sound can be heard in acclaimed beat makers like Alchemist and Flying Lotus. Cosmic Jazz can also be heard sampled on tracks from Benny the Butcher and Kendrick Lamar.

It’s been 25 years since Lonnie Liston Smith released his last record. He’s toured a little. Seen the occasional royalty check come through for compilations, or yet another sample. But this year, for the first time in a quarter century, Lonnie dropped a new record.

Jazz Is Dead 17 is part of a series of albums released by musicians collaborating with the producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. It’s a beautiful recording – alive, boundary-pushing, and energetic. Smith, at 82, is still in top form.

Smith joins us to talk about the new project, and his humble beginnings. Plus, Smith’s records have been sampled a lot in hip-hop and electronic music. He’ll talk about the records that caught him most by surprise.

 

In this episode...

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  • Lonnie Liston Smith

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Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

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Maximum Fun Production Fellow

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