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Live at the Lighthouse is a live album by organist Charles Earland which was recorded at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach in 1972 and released on the Prestige label.

There were a number of different sides to Charles Earland’s musical personality, all of them capable of representing him fully in any given moment. This date from 1971 at the legendary Lighthouse club offers a stunning vision of Earland the soul organist, not the jazzman. Certainly there is plenty of improvisation here and many unexpected twists and turns in the arrangements, with decisions made and reacted to on the spot. But that’s not what makes this date so special. This is Earland digging so deeply into a groove emotionally that he’s unconcerned with anything but feeling (Thom Jurek).

Track listing:
All compositions by Charles Earland except as indicated

“Smiling” (Sylvester Stewart) – 6:36
“We’ve Only Just Begun” (Roger Nichols, Paul Williams) – 5:50
“Black Gun” – 8:17
“Spinky” – 6:13
“Freedom Jazz Dance” (Eddie Harris) – 6:16
“Moontrane” (Woody Shaw) – 5:27

Personnel:
Charles Earland – organ
Elmer Coles – trumpet
Clifford Adams – trombone
James Vass – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
Maynard Parker – guitar
Darryl Washington – drums
Kenneth Nash – congas

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Released: 1972
Recorded: October 9, 1972
The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California
Label: Prestige
PR 10050
Producer: Charles Earland