Dr. Lonnie Smith: Breathe

Twelve years ago, Ira Gitler introduced me to Dr. Lonnie Smith. We were sitting at New York's Jazz Standard listening to the live music during the Jazz Journalists Association awards annual gala. As the three of us sat there, I told Lonnie how much I dug his heavy groove albums from the 1960s and '70s—particularly Think! and Turning Point and Drives.

Eac…