Lonnie Liston Smith - Exotic Mysteries (1978) + Loveland (1978)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes - Astral Traveling (1973)
Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes - Reflections of a Golden Dream (1976)

Having released a string of bulletproof records with the Cosmic Echoes, Lonnie Liston Smith went solo and dove into far more accessible territory. Exotic Mysteries and Loveland are both jazz-funk records, for sure, but the harder-edges and free-form psychedelia that popped up on earlier efforts have been replaced by a smoother, more composed feel. If you, as am I, are getting impatient waiting for summer to come, these make for excellent summer night simulators.

Track listing:
-Exotic Mysteries-
1. Space Princess
2. Quiet Moments
3. Magic Journey
4. Exotic Mysteries
5. Singing for Love
6. Mystical Dreamer
7. Twilight
8. Night Flower
-Loveland-
1. Sunburst
2. Journey into Love
3. Floating Through Love
4. Bright Moments
5. We Can Dream
6. Springtime Magic
7. Loveland
8. Explorations

Midsummer magic