Hey guys,
So.. Let’s talk about
Lonnie Liston Smith
One of the first vinyl LP’s I bought was the album “Expansions”. The only reason I bought it is because I’d heard rappers talk about Lonnie, and the cover was incredible. I brought it to the front and the owner said “nice.. ya this one just came in.. look at this” he showed me the ‘promotional copy’ mark on the vinyl, “Rare one.. Nice choice”.
I walked out feeling proud of myself. I got home and threw it on my record player. It was around this time I was still figuring out how to get the thing plugged in properly. I remember ordering a phono preamp off ebay, and wondering where the hell it was for weeks. I was absolutely useless on the internet till I was about 25. Turns out it was sitting on the front stoop, buried underneath a bunch of newspapers, old shoes and skateboards. I dug it out, cursed my roommates, and threw the record on. I liked it, but back then I wasn’t quite ready for a lot of the records I used to buy. It wasn’t till years later that I would begin to dive into Lonnie, and understand him.
Putting on a Lonnie record is like stumbling upon a celebration from another planet. You don’t really understand whats going on, but then someone gently takes you by the arm and walks you in. They introduce you to the guests. You awkwardly do something resembling a bow. They giggle and smile in a subtle gesture of approval. They give you a delicious beverage that challenges your tastebuds, just enough. You sip from it. You are ensured that you belong just as much as everyone else. You begin to shake your hips slightly and move more freely about the space. By the end of the song, you’ve gotten to know the dance moves. You’re ready for another.
Lonnie has been places we have not. The way he vibrates illustrates this plainly. Yet he does not boast or brag about his astral adventures! He is a humble traveler. He makes you believe that there is no where he has gone, that you can’t go yourself. There’s a heaviness, yet, it’s a playful heaviness. An unintimidating depth. With Lonnie, we dive into the ocean, swim down to the dark and gloomy depths, and for once, we are unafraid! We grow gills and ride the current.
Lonnie invites us to stare into the night sky and remember – space isn’t as far away as it seems. In fact it is just right above us, and if you reach your arms out, you can touch it. He reminds us that this is where the music comes from. Not from our hands, or from our mouth. From someplace far, far away, on the opposite side of the galaxy. Yet as far away as it is, we are connected to it. There is a highway of vibrations… running from the edge of the stratosphere, with a rest stop on Mars, curving around Saturn’s rings, continuing on past Pluto to galaxies unknown. Hop on your spaceship and join him. Everyone’s invited.
I spent all of last Christmas learning the piano part for “A Garden of Peace”. If you aren’t that good at piano, like me, I would recommend it. It’s pretty easy to learn. My family listened patiently as I looped it back around again and again. In the repetition I found solace. Once we all hit the year 2026 I had the piece dialed in.
It is such a crushingly beautiful piece of music. There is a slight sadness to it. A longing. To me, it sounds like looking back at earth from the spaceship, wishing we could all get along. It sounds like knowing that there is more after this life, that things won’t always be like this, but still holding onto the hope that peace will come for all mankind. One day.