Ace celebrates 50 years of Lonnie Liston Smith's "Expansions" with deluxe AAA reissue

Dean Rudland holds the upgraded 50th anniversary reissue of Lonnie Liston Smith's expansions and Eddie Piller has the tape. 

Writes Ace Records' Dean Rudland...

It's taken nearly a year from tapes in hand to the realization of this very special 50th Anniversary Edition of one of the most influential jazz albums of the 1970s: Lonnie Liston Smith's "Expansions."

Recorded in late 1974 and released in March the following year, this album was the full realisation of Lonnie's cosmic spiritual music - and in its title track combined all Lonnie's knowledge til that date, picked up during tenures with Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, Miles Davis and as a founder member of the groundbreaking Pharaoh Sanders group of the late 60s.

The title track obviously became a foundation tune in UK clubland, and influenced producers around the world - which is carefully examined in the sleeve notes that Frank Tope has written for the inner sleeve.

Of course the whole album is astounding, and it may never have sounded better than with this Frank Merritt all analogue cut edition, which is housed in a glorious gatefold tip on sleeve, which we like to think reflects its importance.

This continues my work with Ace Records on the Flying Dutchman catalogue and this will be released through their BGP label on Friday (March 28). 

The pics show Eddie Piller guarding the master tapes for me at The Nellie Dean Pub in Dean Street and then me with the finished article.

Get a copy of the 50th anniversary AAA edition of Lonnie Liston Smith's jazz funk classic Expansions album directly from Ace Records right here. Listen to a digital version of the title track below.