Lonnie Liston Smith - Love Is The Answer (Expanded) (1980)

At his best, Lonnie Liston Smith has been a wealth of imagination and creativity...Sometimes engaging...this erratic CD ranges from radio-oriented Muzak to strong post-bop jazz. Smith excels as an acoustic trio pianist on very lyrical and warm interpretations of Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa," Miles Davis' "Blue in Green" and Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born." Much of the CD, however, contains...pop/R&B/jazz that seems more concerned with commercial radio airplay, such as a note-for-note cover of Anita Baker's "Giving You the Best That I Got." For consistently excellent listening, a much wiser investment would be Astral Traveling, Expansions or the acoustic trio gem Make Someone Happy.