Tom Smith

“A Year In The Life”

(Fey Moose Records FMR001CD)

Tom Smith – alto & soprano saxophones, composer

Graeme Blevins – alto sax, flute, clarinet
Sam Glaser – alto sax
Alex Garnett – tenor sax
Paul Booth – tenor sax
Jessamy Holder – baritone sax, bass clarinet

Tom Walsh, George Hogg, Alistair Martin – trumpets, flugelhorns
Freddie Gavita – trumpet, flugelhorn (3,4,6,7,8)
James Davison – trumpet (1,2,5,9)

Trevor Mires, Olli Martin, Dan Higham – trombones
Yusuf Narcin – bass trombone

Will Barry – piano
Jamie McCredie – guitar
Conor Chaplin – acoustic & electric bass
Luke Tomlinson – drums
Liam Dunachie – Hammond organ (5)

Charlie Bates - conductor

A rather belated look at this excellent release from the London based saxophonist, composer and bandleader Tom Smith. Although credited solely to Smith it’s a splendid big band album featuring nine of the saxophonist’s original compositions.

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and twice a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition (2014, 2016) Smith is a huge playing and compositional talent and a significant presence on the London jazz scene.

In addition to leading his own big band Smith is a member of the Patchwork Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble that has featured on the Jazzmann web pages on numerous occasions, both in the live environment and on disc and on video.

Smith also leads his own small groups and I recall enjoying a performance by his septet at the 2018 Brecon Jazz Festival. That show is reviewed elsewhere on this site as part of my Festival coverage as is a performance by the same group at the Progress Theatre in Reading in 2017, which was covered by guest contributor Trevor Bannister.

Smith’s recorded output under his own name includes the septet album “Selections” (2015), the trio album “Gecko” (2020), recorded with pianist Will Barry and vibraphonist Jonny Mansfield, and “Drifter Days” (2022), which features a quartet co-led by Smith and the Czech pianist and composer Daniel Bulatkin.

In addition to his work as a leader Smith is also a prolific sideman who performs with a wide variety of small groups and large ensembles. Although he is primarily an alto player I remember him giving a fine performance on tenor as a last minute ‘dep’ with drummer / composer Tristan Banks’ quartet at the Marr’s Bar in Worcester in April 2023.

Smith is also the founder of Queertet, an LBGQTI and jazz initiative.

As a composer and arranger Smith’s work has been showcased by such ensembles as the London Gay Big Band and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO).

The line -up that Smith has assembled for this big band recording includes many of London’s finest young jazz musicians, many of them Academy graduates and fellow members of the Patchwork Jazz Orchestra.

As a composer Smith cites his influences as including Maria Schneider, Pat Metheny, Carla Bley, Bill Frisell and the UK’s own Guy Barker. His writing is often inspired by personal experiences and is inspired by living and working in London. Smith says of his compositions for this album; “I want the record to bring in people from outside the core jazz audience, so every time I write I try to have an image in my head – you should be able to close your eyes and see a scene. This band has all of my favourite people in it and I think it sounds like London – music everywhere and something new around every street corner!”

The album commences with title track “A Year In The Life” which commences with a lush and gentle horn chorale before adopting a Metheny-like rhythmic pulse, instigated by McCredie’s acoustic guitar. Colourful instrumental textures combine with buoyant grooves to create music that is vibrant and uplifting with the alto saxophones of Sam Glaser and leader Smith prominent in the arrangement, alongside drummer Luke Tomlinson.

The fast moving and rousing “Speedboat In Trouble” adopts a more conventional big band sound but still sounds fresh and contemporary. Once again it’s brilliantly arranged and orchestrated and includes a fluent, incisive and expansive solo from the leader on alto followed by the duelling of Alistair Martin on trumpet and Trevor Mires on trombone. There’s also a brief moment of calm featuring the unaccompanied piano of Will Barry before drummer Tomlinson features strongly again towards the close.

Following the two upbeat opening pieces “Saviour Suzanne” introduces a more reflective side of the ensemble, but still retains a strong sense of swing as it progresses via the fluent soloing of trombonist Olli Martin and alto saxophonist Graeme Blevins.

The evocative “Breathe” features lush horn voicings and the soaring electric guitar of Jamie McCredie, whose six string atmospherics are followed by a more pensive passage featuring Smith’s alto sax musings.

McCredie also features strongly on the dark funk of the sinister but energetic “We’re Being Watched”, which also introduces guest musician Liam Dunachie on blues flavoured Hammond organ. Meanwhile Paul Booth weighs in with a punchy, hard edged tenor sax solo.

“Atlas” begins calmly and serenely with the unaccompanied piano of Will Barry and also features the deep, woody sounds of Jessamy Holder’s bass clarinet. One of the album’s most introspective pieces it features warm hued brass and reed orchestrations and the fluent but melancholic brooding of Gavita on flugel horn. Smith follows on alto as the music gradually gathers momentum.

The lively “Aplomb” adopts a more conventional big sound and nods to the bebop tradition via an invigorating arrangement that incorporates rousing and incisive solos from Smith on alto and Mires on trombone.

Initially the music of “Somewhere Far From Here” has the kind of wistful quality that the title of the composition suggests, a good example of the cinematic quality the Smith brings to his writing. As with all of his pieces there are plenty of contrasts and twists and turns along the way, with solos coming from pianist Will Barry, the leader on increasingly impassioned alto, and finally Tomlinson at the drums as the tension gradually builds and releases.

The closing “Swansea Uproar”  was actually played by Smith’s septet at Brecon Jazz Festival in 2018, the title alone guaranteed to make it a favourite with the Welsh audience! As suggested by the title it’s a rabble rouser of a tune, informed by blues, bebop and traditional big band virtues. The punchy horn arrangements act as the launch pad for solos from Smith on alto, Barry at the piano and Alex Garnett on tenor sax, the latter cutting loose for the first and only time. We also hear from another new soloist, trombonist Dan Higham.

It’s hard to describe just how good this music is. Smith displays an impressive maturity as both a player and a composer. His writing is rich, colourful and multi-faceted, exploring a variety of jazz styles over the course of the album and with each individual piece featuring effective dynamic contrasts and plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

Smith also features himself extensively as a soloist, and justifiably so as he is an intelligent, technically gifted and highly versatile alto player. Due to his key role as a soloist he leaves conducting duties to Charlie Bates, with Tom Richards, another big band composer and arranger, supervising the score. Together with Smith these two are part of the twenty plus strong team (I include engineers John Prestage and Cicely Balston too, and even Ollie Hayward for his distinctive artwork) responsible for this hugely successful big band album.

This review might be a little late (the album was actually released in February 2025) but it remains timely as the Tom Smith Big Band has a series of concerts scheduled for early October 2025. These are in addition to the many other engagements for the busy Smith, whose playing can also be found as the leader of his own small groups and as a prolific sideman with a range of other artists in a variety of ensembles both large and small. Check out his crowded live performance schedule at http://www.tomsmithsax.com where you can also purchase his albums.

 

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