Lonnie Liston Smith

b. 28 December 1940, Richmond, Virginia, USA. Born into a very musical family, Smith seemed destined from a very early age to make music his career. His father and two brothers were all vocalists, but it was the keyboard that attracted Lonnie. After studying at Morgan State University, he moved to New York and immersed himself in the city's thriving jazz scene. Accompanying Betty Carter for a year in 1963, Smith soon became a highly sought-after pianist, working with successive jazz stars, from Roland Kirk (1964-65), Art Blakey (1966-67), and Joe Williams (1967-68), through to Pharoah Sanders (1969-71), Gato Barbieri (1971-73), and finally Miles Davis (1972-73). In 1974, Smith formed the Cosmic Echoes with his brother Donald as vocalist. Playing a very popular soft fusion, they recorded a highly successful album in 1975, and remained popular throughout the decade. In 1991, after some time out of the spotlight, Smith recorded a high quality album MAGIC LADY and embarked on a European tour (including the UK).