Tommy Smith (saxophonist)

Tommy Smith (born 27 April 1967 Lutton, Bedfordshire ) is a Scottish jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader and teacher.

Life

Smith grew up in area of ​​Wester Hailes in Edinburgh and began twelve years ago with the tenor saxophone. At the age of 15, he had a first television appearance on the side of Gordon Beck and Niels -Henning Ørsted Pedersen; the age of 16 he received a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, during which first recordings were made under his own name ( Forward Motion - The Berkeley Tapes, 1984, inter alia, with Terje Gewelt ). Here he played in the band by Gary Burton, on the ECM album Whizz Kids, he was involved in 1986. With fellow students, he went 1985/86 on a first UK and European tour. After his return to Scotland, he worked since the late 1980s in the local jazz scene with his own bands, including Jason Rebello and Idris Muhammad, as well as the musical director of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and its Youth Jazz Orchestra.

He also recorded under his own name more than 20 albums, including for the label Hep Records, Blue Note Records, Linn Records and his own Spartacus label on. He worked in various formations and Big Bands and played, among other things, Joe Lovano, David Liebman, Benny Golson, Joe Locke, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Tommy Flanagan, John Scofield, John Patitucci, Miroslav Vitous, Arild Andersen, Trilok Gurtu, Jack DeJohnette, Jon Christensen, John Taylor, Joanne Brackeen and Kenny Wheeler.

As a composer, he worked for various classical orchestras and ensembles such as the Orchestra of St. John's Square, the Scottish Ensemble, the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He also worked with pianist Murray McLachlan, the pop group Hue & Cry and traditional Scottish musicians like Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw and oud player Naseer Shamma Iraqi. Smith's own compositions were Beauty and the Beast for David Liebman and Joe Lovano for Torah.

Smith received his doctorate in 1999 at the Heriot -Watt University in Edinburgh. His work as a teacher began when he worked with Gary Burton in 1986 and the group held workshops with master classes. From 1990 he taught at Broughton High School in Edinburgh, in 1993, he taught improvisation at the Edinburgh Napier University. In 1995, he created a curriculum for the National Jazz Institute in Glasgow, which he headed from 1998.

Prizes and awards

In 2000, Smit was honorary doctorate from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. In 2002 he received the British Jazz Award for best tenor saxophonist. A second honorary doctorate from Glasgow Caledonian University was awarded to him in 2008 for his services to music in Scotland. In 2012, he received both for his work as a jazz educator as well as for his album Karma a Scottish Jazz Award.

Disco Graphical Notes

  • Paris ( Blue Note, 1992) with Guy Barker, Julian Argüelles
  • Misty Morning and No Time ( Linn, 1994) with Julian Argüelles, Terje Gewelt
  • Beasts of Scotland ( Linn, 1996) with Guy Barker, Alec Dankworth
  • Azure ( Linn, 1996) with Kenny Wheeler, Lars Danielsson, Jon Christensen
  • The Sound of Love ( Linn, 1997) with Kenny Barron
  • Blue Smith ( Linn, 1999) with John Scofield, James Genus
  • Bezique; Symbiosis ( Spartacus, 2002 and 2004) duets with Brian Kellock
  • Forbitten Fruit ( Spartacus, 2005) with Steve Hamilton
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