Originally from Birmingham and now London based, Smith personifies what we once referred to as a 'tough tenor'. The term was particularly applied to those gutsy hard-blowing saxists who had one foot in the swing era and the other in bebop and its subsequent variants.
Players such as Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Ike Quebec, Arnett Cobb, Sonny Stitt, Wardell Gray and maybe early Coltrane to mention but some. By his own admission, Smith acknowledges Jacquet as having been his biggest influence dedicating one of his compositions, Jacquet Jump, to the former Hampton and JATP legend. Red Prysock, Fathead Newman and Jimmy Forrest are also respectfully namechecked in Red Haze, Fathead and Like Forrest.
Of course even the toughest of tenors have soft centres as Smith proves in two exquisite ballad performances - the only two non-originals - The Man I Love and My One and Only Love - the latter piece played totally unaccompanied. A tour de force of saxophone ballad playing done without a safety net.
It's always good to hear tenor playing of this style and standard particularly when such kindred spirits as Barron, Read and Brown are in the mix. Close your eyes and you're listening to Dexter's latest album on Blue Note complete with quotes and Sonny Clark, Butch Warren and Al Harewood in the engine room.
Although I have mentioned Smith's inspirational roots there's nothing cloned about the music. The tenor player is very much his own man whilst at the same time advancing the tradition. Lance
The physical launch is scheduled for August 29 at Soho's Pizza Express.
Red Haze; Hinx Thinks; Soho Stroll; Hot Snap; The Man I Love; Fathead; Jacquet Jump; The Shaker; Like Forrest; My One and Only Love; The Beehive; Lifeline!
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