In arguably one of the most anticipated releases of the impressive Jazz Is Dead series, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have teamed up with the king of cosmic jazz, in the legendary composer and pianist Lonnie Liston Smith.

Smith first made his mark working as a sideman with Miles Davis, Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri and Leon Thomas, while being featured on some of their most iconic recordings. He later formed his own groundbreaking ensemble, Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes, which released some of the greatest spiritual jazz-funk albums of the 1970s (mostly for the Flying Dutchman label), and is responsible for dancefloor classics like “Expansions”, “Madi Gras (Carnival)”, “Cosmic Funk”, “Give Peace a Chance (Make Love)”, “Bright Moments”, “Space Princess”, and so many others.

On this super 9-track recording, the Jazz Is Dead crew have put together the ingredients for Smith to recapture the same cosmic spirit that was found on those 70s Flying Dutchman releases, fusing together spacey keys and Fender Rhodes with glistening sun-drenched toned instrumentation, and funky percussion. Frequent JID collaborator Loren Oden provides some hypnotic vocals on a number of the cuts that are very reminiscent of Lonnie’s late younger brother, Donald Smith, who was featured on many of those classic 70s sessions.

As with most of the releases in the series, Jazz Is Dead has provided the foundation for a pioneering artist like Lonnie Liston Smith to rekindle his signature cosmic vibes on a well-produced new recording.

‘JID017’ will officially be released on vinyl, April 28, 2023

Lonnie Liston Smith, Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad — ‘JID017’
(Jazz Is Dead)

1. Love Brings Happiness ft. Loren Oden
2. Dawn
3. Cosmic Changes ft. Loren Oden
4. Gratitude
5. Love Can Be ft. Loren Oden
6. Fête
7. Kaleidoscope
8. What May Come
9. A New Spring

BUY RECORD

• Cosmic
• Jazz
• Jazz Funk
• Spiritual Jazz