Fraser Smith Quartet

“Lifeline!”

(LeJazzetal Records FSQ0120)

Fraser Smith – tenor saxophone, Rob Barron – piano, Simon Read – bass, Steve Brown – drums

Birmingham born, London based tenor saxophonist Fraser Smith first came to my attention back in 2017 with the release of the eponymous debut album by his then band Fraser & The Alibis. This was a group that featured the talents of pianist / organist Joe Webb (now an established band leader in his own right), together with guitarist Harry Sankey and drummer Gethin Jones.

Previously known as The Applejacks the Alibis first came together when its members were all studying on the Jazz Course at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff. They later moved to London and remained together for over a decade, recording an album and playing literally hundreds of shows at jazz clubs and festivals across the country. My review of the Fraser & The Alibis album can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/fraser-and-the-alibis-fraser-and-the-alibis

Although still relatively young Smith is passionate about the music of previous jazz eras, ranging from swing through bebop and hard bop. He cites saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Illinois Jacquet as key influences and this latest release also pays homage to Jimmy Forrest and to David ‘Fathead’ Newman. Other sources of saxophonic inspiration include John Coltrane, Lester Young, Sonny Stitt, Sam Butera, Red Prysock and the British musicians Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Soweto Kinch and Alex Garnett.

Smith’s current quartet, featuring pianist Rob Barron, bassist Simon Read and drummer Steve Brown, made its recording debut in 2023 with the release of “Tip Top!” on the Ubuntu Music imprint. Largely featuring Smith’s original compositions, several of them contrafacts, the album played to the strengths of its members with a retro sound that acknowledged the influence of Gordon and Jacquet plus other sax stylists as Stanley Turrentine, Al Cohn and Wardell Gray. “Tip Top!” is reviewed here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/fraser-smith-quartet-tip-top

In addition to leading his own groups Smith has also worked with American jazz musicians such as saxophonist Harry Allen, bassists Pat O’Leary and Chuck Israels and drummer Chuck Redd.

The new album features ten Smith originals plus two interpretations of jazz standards. The recording is released in conjunction with guitarist Dave Kelbie’s LeJazzetal imprint, a label normally associated with gypsy jazz, so “Lifeline!” makes for an interesting departure from the label’s usual output.

The bustling opener “Red Haze” sets the scene with Smith’s gruff, authoritative tenor complemented by the swinging accompaniment of Barron, Read and Brown, with the latter’s bright, sparky drumming particularly prominent in the arrangement. Solos come from Smith on tenor and Barron at the piano, with Brown making several telling interjections.

Brown introduces “Hinx Thinks”, a less frenetic but still swinging offering featuring the leader’s earthy tenor alongside a more expansive solo from Barron, one of the UK’s leading mainstream jazz pianists and also a bandleader in his own right. This piece also includes a solo from the estimable bassist Simon Read, a stalwart of the British jazz scene.

“Soho Stroll” evokes memories of classic Blue Note hard bop with its rolling grooves and meaty tenor sax soloing. There’s also another fluent piano solo from the impressive Barron.

Fraser describes his playing and writing for this album as being “very much rooted in the hard swinging ‘tough tenor’ sounds of the master saxophonists such as Dexter Gordon and Illinois Jacquet”. This is very much in evidence on the energetic and hard driving “Hot Snap”, which again contains buccaneering solos from Smith and Barron, fuelled by the crisp rhythms laid down by Read and Brown.

The only covers on the album are ballads and both of these pieces demonstrate a softer, more subtle side of Smith’s playing. On George Gershwin’s “The Man I Love” Smith adopts a warmer, softer tone on tenor, but for all the tenderness his sound still retains an element of his trademark ‘edge’. Barron delivers a flowingly lyrical piano solo while Read enjoys a gently melodic excursion on double bass. Brown turns in a richly nuanced performance at the kit, deploying a variety of implements (mallets, brushes, sticks) and generating an impressive array of always appropriate drum sounds.

In recent times there’s been something of a revival of interest in the music of US saxophonist David ‘Fathead’ Newman, the saxophone player and horn section leader in Ray Charles’ band and who also played with Aretha Franklin, BB King, Joe Cocker and Dr. John. Newman also recorded with Stanley Turrentine, jazz flautist Herbie Mann and jazz organists Jimmy McGriff and Lonnie Smith. He also released close on forty albums as a leader, many of which are now out of print. Australian born, UK based saxophonist Brandon Allen recently paid tribute to Newman with his “Some Kinda Mean” project.
Now it’s Smith’s turn and his composition “Fathead” is a suitably raunchy and swinging offering in a broadly ‘soul jazz’ style and incorporates the confident and inventive soloing of both Smith and Barron above a fiercely swinging groove.

“Jacquet Jump” is another homage to one of Smith’s saxophone heroes. Nevertheless it’s introduced by a passage of vigorously plucked unaccompanied double bass from the excellent Read, who, aided and abetted by Brown, continues to provide the rhythmic fuel for Smith’s blues inspired sax honking. Barron adds a capricious and slyly inventive piano solo.

The R & B influenced “The Shaker” is Smith’s attempt to write a jazz tune that makes audiences respond physically – “I think music should sometimes make you move physically and this was me channelling a bit of that” he explains, whilst recalling his early days in Birmingham’s clubs. R & B combines with hard bop on a fiercely swinging tune featuring the composer’s hard edged sax soloing and a typically fluent piano excursion from Barron, all powered by an infectious bass and drum groove.

“Like Forrest” pays tribute to saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, writer of the famous composition “Night Train”, a hit for pianist Oscar Peterson. Smith’s homage picks up where “The Shaker” left off, maintaining the energy levels, although in a more orthodox jazz manner. Smith and Barron shine once more with dazzling solos as Read and Brown provide the necessary rhythmic propulsion. Brown, arguably the UK’s most in demand mainstream jazz drummer enjoys a lively and colourful solo feature towards the close.

After four resolutely up-tempo offerings Smith chooses to cool things down once more with a second ballad performance. This time the chosen vehicle is the much covered jazz standard “My One and Only Love”, written in 1953 by composer Guy Wood and lyricist Robert Mellin. It’s played by Smith totally unaccompanied,  a solo tenor sax performance that is both technically dazzling and stunningly beautiful. Arguably it’s the highlight of the entire album and is made all the more remarkable for being totally unexpected.

It’s back to business as usual with “The Beehive”, another swinging and upbeat offering featuring a burly tenor sound allied to Barron’s mercurial pianism and the propulsive but imaginative rhythm playing of Read and Brown.

The album concludes with the title track, which acknowledges Smith’s love of an earlier jazz era. As part of Garth Cartwright’s liner notes Smith comments; “My aim in making music is largely to serve as a vehicle to play saxophone in the style I’m completely obsessed with. Music from the swing era, through to bebop and hard bop. From an early age the jazz that I came across played a huge part in my personal development. It really was a lifeline for me and, without wanting to sound pretentious, continues to provide spiritual and emotional support for me”.
Musically “Lifeline!”, the tune, personifies Smith’s mastery of his chosen jazz idiom, a vintage, hard swinging slice of hard bop featuring his forthright tenor sound alongside Brown’s dynamic drumming, Read’s supportive bass and Barron’s astute and inventive comping and soloing. Brown features with a fiery solo drum passage before the quartet, led by Smith’s tenor take things storming out.

As was stated in the liner notes to “Tip Top!” Smith  “doesn’t re-invent the wheel, and doesn’t want to” and once again this latest album is a total success on its own terms. Smith’s command of his chosen idiom is undisputed and in Barron, Read and Brown he has three other masters of their chosen jazz field. “Lifeline!” won’t pull up any trees but like its predecessor it’s an unpretentious, hard swinging album capable of appealing to a broad jazz listenership. One also suspects that this group are also a highly exciting live act and that it’s in this environment that they really come into their own.

“Lifeline!” is available from;
https://frasersmith.bandcamp.com/music

or;
http://www.lejazzetal.com

 

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