Afro Desia

Description

Mr Bongo opens the vault on classic recordings from the legendary Groove Merchant Records catalog. This time, the spotlight turns to Hammond B3 organ maestro Lonnie Smith, as we are proud to present a reissue of his cosmic jazz-funk journey, "Afro-Desia". Originally released in 1975, this highly regarded album was produced by Sonny Lester, owner of the Groove Merchant label, and features the mysterious "Compliments Of A Friend" on guitar. Considering that Smith was part of George Benson's quartet in the 60s, a not-so-subtle veil seems to have been lifted on the identity of this "friend". However, likely for contractual reasons, Benson had to remain uncredited for this recording. The lineup doesn't stop there, with legendary bassist Ron Carter and Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano joining the group. A two-part album, the first side sees Lonnie Smith in a spaced-out, cosmic jazz funk setting. The B side takes on a more classic soul-jazz flavor, with touches of Latin spice.