Walter Smith III - Twio Vol. 2

I've featured Smith a few times here, and this is his latest—a continuation of 2018's Twio (out on Whirlwind, long sold out on vinyl, but you can get it digitally on Bandcamp).

The idea being: get together great players, grab some classic tunes, and go—a few takes per.

Here we have Smith (tenor) with Joe Sanders (bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums)...but half the tracks have Ron Carter (bass) and Brandon Marsalis (tenor).

#nowplaying #vinyl #jazz #WalterSmithIII

Three Of Us Are From Houston And Reuben Is Not by Walter Smith III released on Blue Note in 2024.

Saxophonist Walter Smith III pays homage to his hometown of Houston, Texas on his sophomore Blue Note album, three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not, which is set for release on September 27 and marks the follow-up to Smith’s acclaimed 2023 label debut return to casual. The new album’s wry title signifies the lineup, which includes fellow Houston natives – pianist Jason Moran and drummer Eric Harland – while bassist Reuben Rogers, who hails from the Virgin Islands, rounds out the quartet. Together they enliven 10 compelling Smith originals and an imaginative rendering of a Sam Rivers composition – all of which speaks to Smith’s ascending status as one of modern jazz’s most engaging talents of his generation.

https://www.bluenote.com/walter-smith-iii-three-of-us-are-from-houston-and-reuben-is-not/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsmq_LDTCkM&list=OLAK5uy_kXS3ddHzBERu6u9Qni4X2RpEN6Ht8eFhg&index=1

#WalterSmithIII #JasonMoran #BlueNote #Jazz #Music #Houston

Casually Introducing
by Walter Smith III, released in 2006 on Fresh Sound New Talent.

"After sharing the scene or recording with many jazz notables including Roy Haynes, Ralph Peterson, Roy Hargrove, Terence Blanchard, Eric Reed, Jason Moran, Rueben Rogers, Bob Hurst, Joe Lovano, Myron Walden, Lewis Nash, Eric Harland, Terri Lynne-Carrington, and a host of others, the very impressive saxophonist Walter Smith III realized at last his debut recording as a leader..

This magnificent work features many of his original compositions. The band is comprised of some of the best young musicians on the scene today including Aaron Parks, Robert Glasper, Lionel Loueke, Lage Lund, Gretchen Parlato, Reuben Rogers, Vicente Archer, Kendrick Scott, Eric Harland, and Matt Kilmer.

https://freshsoundrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/casually-introducing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWyKwZCq--s&list=RDBWyKwZCq--s&start_radio=1

#waltersmithIII #jazz #DebutAlbum #AaronParks #AmbroseAkinmusire

Ambrose Akinmusire, When the Heart Emerges Glistening, 2011 on Blue Note

Akinmusire is an avant-garde jazz trumpeter from Oakland by way of the Manhattan School of Music, USC, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in LA. This was his second album (first on Blue Note) with Walter Smith III on sax, Gerald Clayton on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Justin Brown on drums.

“My Name is Oscar” is a spoken word piece with drums (or maybe it is a drum piece with spoken word interlude) about the shooting of Oscar Grant III at Fruitvale Station in 2009 – also the subject of Ryan Coogler’s film Fruitvale Station from 2013.

My copy is actually from the Vinyl Me Please Anthology The Story of Blue Note Records, second edition, on which it stands in for Blue Note’s “modern” era. Wonderful record I might not have heard outside the context of the anthology but I’m very happy to have.

#2010s #2011 #AmbroseAkinmusire #BlueNote #FruitvaleStation #GeraldClayton #HarishRaghavan #OscarGrantIII #TheStoryOfBlueNoteRecords #vinyl #vinylMePlease #VinylMePleaseAnthology #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WalterSmithIII

Something […]

https://sbblues.com/2024/12/14/miz/

Walter Smith III - three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not

Smith (sax) along with Jason Moran (piano), Reuben Rogers (bass) and Eric Harland (drums), with a disc that runs the gamut from tight, groove-based tracks to a speed-run drag race with Moran.

#nowplaying #vinyl #jazz #WalterSmithIII #JasonMoran #ReubenRogers #EricHarland

Walter Smith III coming out with more amazing stuff. The album version has Ambrose Akinmusire playing as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp1zr6zRCtA
#jazz #tenorsax #modernjazz #WalterSmithIII