Evolution

After a 45-year absence from the Blue Note roster, this Hammond B-3 organ maestro returns to the label, burnishing his legacy in multiple ways. It’s a treat to hear Smith in dialogue with pianist Robert Glasper (“Play It Back”), since the younger keyboardist’s work in R&B-inflected jazz owes something to his elder’s example. Elsewhere, Smith’s patented jazz-funk sound has been deepened by a working group that includes a two-drummer attack; you can hear how that rhythmic layering pushes his solos to new expressive heights, especially on “Afrodesia.”