Lonnie Liston Smith — Expansions
Expansions · 1975
Label: Flying Dutchman · Genre: Jazz / Jazz-Funk / Spiritual Jazz · Country: USA · From: New York, NY, North America
Lonnie Liston Smith recorded Expansions in November 1974 with The Cosmic Echoes, releasing it in 1975 on Flying Dutchman. The album sits at the intersection of spiritual jazz and club music; the title track's phased drums and cascading keyboard runs were later sampled by Massive Attack, Goldie, and dozens of British broken beat producers. Smith had played with Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis before forming The Cosmic Echoes, and Expansions channels that spiritual jazz tradition into something accessible without being compromised.
Did you know: Lonnie Liston Smith studied under Betty Carter and played piano alongside Pharoah Sanders and Gato Barbieri before forming the Cosmic Echoes. Expansions was one of the earliest jazz records to layer synthesisers over acoustic instruments without losing spiritual depth. The track has been sampled by A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, and Pete Rock, and remains a cornerstone of rare groove DJ sets globally.
Listen / buy: Juno · Spotify · YouTube
← Explore the full Souldigs collection