Coltrane and Lonnie Smith

[Milestones]

I've been thinking about just who is Lonnie from Trane's "Lonnie's Lament."  Of course, these days one tries AI.  The answer there is that it is Dr. Lonnie Smith, which strikes me as extremely unlikely.  Smith would have been only 22 when the song was recorded, and the piece has a feel that is like nothing you would find in Lonnie Smith's work (or just about any organist).

Yes, Smith later recorded a Trane tribute record.  But I don't think Coltrane wrote a tribute to him.

So who is Lonnie?

 

[Dub Modal]

Per this article, it was one of the songs from Crescent inspired by poetry Coltrane was reading at the time. 

https://www.everythingjazz.com/story/john-coltranes-criminally-underrated-record/

 

[Guy Berger]

40 minutes ago, Milestones said:

I've been thinking about just who is Lonnie from Trane's "Lonnie's Lament."  Of course, these days one tries AI.  The answer there is that it is Dr. Lonnie Smith, which strikes me as extremely unlikely.  Smith would have been only 22 when the song was recorded, and the piece has a feel that is like nothing you would find in Lonnie Smith's work (or just about any organist).

Yes, Smith later recorded a Trane tribute record.  But I don't think Coltrane wrote a tribute to him.

So who is Lonnie?

 

Definitely not Lonnie Smith, but I always assumed it was guitarist Lonnie Johnson.  Coltrane would have surely been familiar with him…

Edited 7 hours ago by Guy Berger

[Milestones]

Dub, I just read that same article earlier today.  But no mention of who Lonnie might be.

Guy, I'm not sure if Lonnie Johnson seems at all likely.

Or maybe Lonnie is a fictional/poetic creation of Coltrane's.

 

[felser]

1 hour ago, Milestones said:

Or maybe Lonnie is a fictional/poetic creation of Coltrane's.

Or a personal friend/relative as opposed to a known musician, though I can see the poetry angle.

Edited 5 hours ago by felser

[sidewinder]

I was always under the impression that the 'Lonnie' was Alonzo 'Lonnie' Levister, whose tune 'Slow Dance' Coltrane had recorded for Prestige.

Edited 1 hour ago by sidewinder