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About Walter Smith III
Walter Smith III: Driving Modern Jazz With An Unyielding Voice
by Stephen Braunginn
From his early beginnings at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston to leadership roles at Berklee College of Music, Walter Smith III shares stories from his journey and discusses his commitment to gender equity in jazz. We take a deep dive into his album three of us are from Houston Reuben is not (Blue Note, 2024) featuring Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, and Eric Harland, exploring the significance behind the music and composition titles. Hear about ...
Continue ReadingNew Music From Smith, Barakan, LDL, Harrington Jaffe & Shiroishi, And More
by Bob Osborne
This playlist of all new releases offers a sophisticated journey through the expansive landscape of contemporary and classic jazz, seamlessly transitioning between structured elegance and avant-garde exploration. Listeners are invited to traverse a sonic terrain that ranges from intimate, tradition-steeped trio performances and lush big band arrangements to the more challenging, textural fringes of free improvisation. Whether grounded by melodic warmth or propelled by experimental rhythmic structures, the collection captures a broad spectrum of instrumental dialogue, celebrating both the quiet ...
Continue ReadingWalter Smith III, Paul Keller Orchestra, Javon Jackson, Bria Skonberg and more
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Walter Smith lll, Paul Keller Orchestra, Javon Jackson, Tierney Sutton & Tamir Hendelman, Jenny Klukken, Jon Gold, Bria Skonberg, Stacey Kent, Arvind Ramdas, Yelena Eckemoff, Julian Davis Reid, Sam Yahel, Jazzlab Orchestra, Lisanne Lyons, Nicole McCabe, Corcoran Holt, Jeremy Pelt, Aubrey Johnson, Steven Husted, NOLA Resistance Quintet, LehCats, Dave Slonaker Big Band, Joel Ross, Flying High, Darren Litzie, Hendrik Meurkens, Ulysses Owens Jr., The Sistering, Pat Bianchi, The Interplay Jazz Orchestra, Stephen Philip Harvey, ...
Continue ReadingWalter Smith III: Twio Vol. 2
by Jack Kenny
Walter Smith III is a deceptive musician. His deep jazz roots and distinctive tenor saxophone tone mask a technique that is both complex and understated. Smith rewards attentive listeners; his mastery lies in refinement rather than display. One of the pleasures of following Smith's career is hearing him change. Though no longer a young newcomer, he continues to evolve. His tone and timbre have matured, his rhythmic command has become more supple, and his avoidance of theatrics has ...
Continue ReadingZhengtao Pan Jazz Orchestra: Scenery in My Story
by Jack Bowers
Zhengtao Pan, born in Shanghai, China, less than twenty-five years ago, was already well-known as a designer of video games when he chose to move to Boston, MA, to study jazz composition at the Berklee College of Music. Scenery In My Story is Pan's debut recording as leader of his Jazz Orchestra, and as its title suggests, the music is personal and thematic, tracing in solicitous terms Pan's impactful voyage from Shanghai to Boston. Intimate, yes, but ...
Continue ReadingWalter Smith III, Patricia Brennan, Alexi Tuomarila, Nacka Forum & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
Your cyber-dial is tuned on the digital frequencies of All About Jazz and our playlist is full of gorgeous new jazz for you... which means that you're listening to Mondo Jazz, coming to you with another truckload of gorgeouns new releases.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Alexi Tuomarila Towards Dark Light" Departing the Wasteland (Edition) 0:16 Host talks 6:55 Patricia Brennan Five Suns" Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic) 8:24 Host ...
Continue ReadingJon Gordon: 7th Ave South
by Jack Bowers
Some of life's moments, even when buried in the past, remain almost as fresh and memorable as today's. Such is alto saxophonist Jon Gordon's memory of his first visit to New York City's then-jazz center, Greenwich Village's 7th Avenue South, which was the first place [he] ever heard live jazz in New York." That was in 1983--nearly four decades ago--but that memory and those that followed were enough to inspire Gordon's latest album, appropriately titled 7th Ave South.
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