Lonnie Liston Smith was 32 when, in 1973, he finally got around to recording his first album as a leader,
Astral Traveling. By that time, the pianist/keyboardist had a great deal of sideman experience under his belt, and this superb debut made it clear that former employers like
Pharoah Sanders,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Gato Barbieri, and
Betty Carter had taught him well. One hears a lot of
Sanders,
John Coltrane, and
McCoy Tyner influence on
Astral Traveling;
Smith obviously shares their passion for all things spiritual. Nonetheless, this LP leaves no doubt that the improviser is very much his own man and has a wealth of brilliant ideas of his own; thankfully, he has a cohesive band to help him carry them out. On
Astral Traveling,
Smith's 1973 edition of
the Cosmic Echoes includes
George Barron on soprano and tenor sax,
Joe Beck on guitar,
Cecil McBee on bass,
David Lee Jr. on drums,
James Mtume and
Sonny Morgan on percussion,
Badal Roy on Indian tabla drums, and
Geeta Vashi on the Indian tamboura. An impressive lineup, and one that shows a great understanding of
Smith's spiritual nature. Ninety-five percent of the time,
Astral Traveling is serene and tranquil; but on "I Mani (Faith)," the unexpected interesting happens when
Barron goes outside during his sax solo and gets into the type of dissonant, forceful screaming one would expect from
Albert Ayler or late-period
Coltrane. "I Mani (Faith)" has a hauntingly peaceful melody, but
Barron's out-of-left-field solo makes it the most avant-garde track that
Smith ever recorded as a leader. Produced by the late
Bob Thiele -- an eclectic heavyweight who worked with everyone from
Coltrane,
Ayler, and
Charles Mingus to
Coleman Hawkins,
Count Basie, and
Louis Armstrong --
Astral Traveling is among
Smith's most essential and rewarding albums.