FALLING FOR THE ORGAN [:60]

RUFFIN: NOW A JAZZ MOMENT

WELL BEFORE DR. LONNIE SMITH BECAME A NEA JAZZ MASTER ON THE ORGAN, HE WAS A YOUNG MAN IN BUFFALO WITH A DREAM…A DREAM TO OWN ONE.

Lonnie Smith: I went to the store, Art Kubera’s music store and I sit in the store every day. And he says, at closing time he says, “Son, can I ask you a question?” I say, “Yes, sir.” He says, “Why do you come in every day and you just sit?” I says, “Well, if I had an instrument, I could work. If I could work, I could make a living.” And one day I went in there, he closed the place up, and we went to his house in the back. When he opened the door, I saw this—I felt it. And he says, “If you can get this out, it’s yours.” I did. In the snow in Buffalo, you know Excerpt of “Too Damn Hot” composed and performed live by Dr. Lonnie Smith, used by permission of DRLS Music.