hypersongs

Drives

A Blue Note quintet date with two saxophones, guitar and drums, built around a seven-and-a-half minute reading of "Spinning Wheel".
Dr. Lonnie Smith, 1970

Drives was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio on January 2, 1970 and produced by Francis Wolff for Blue Note. Smith's band was Dave Hubbard on tenor saxophone, Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone, Larry McGee on guitar and Joe Dukes on drums. AllMusic's Ron Wynn gave it four stars, saying Smith had the raw skills, imagination, and versatility to play burning originals. The exact release date is not known; the listed times total 36:05 against a stated 35:46. A Blue Note Classic Vinyl edition, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original tapes, was released on December 13, 2024.

Track listing

  1. Twenty-Five Miles5:36
  2. Spinning Wheel7:30
  3. Seven Steps to Heaven5:43
  4. Psychedelic Pi6:30
  5. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?10:46

Sources

  1. Drives (Lonnie Smith album), Wikipedia