One of the leading voices of today’s tenor saxists, Walter Smith III makes his debut on Blue Note Records with a strong and lyrical outing with the team of Taylor Eigsti/p, Matt Stevens/g, Harish Raghavan/b, Kendrick Scott/dr and guests Ambrose Akinmusire and James Franceis/p. The mix of interplay and pulsations is impressive here, with some intricate catch and release on the pulse of “River Styx” with Smith and Akinmusire. Stevens brings some nice guitar work over the percolating pulse that builds up to a rich climax on “lamplight” while creating delicate droplets on Kat Bush’s “Mother Stands For Comfort”. The percolating rhythm team ripples on “Pup-Pow” and the leader’s full formed fog of a town breezes around here like a pelican hovering over the white caps, or floating like a cirrus cloud over Scott’s brushes on “”Shine”. Warm embers of song.Walter Smith III: return to casual
One of the leading voices of today’s tenor saxists, Walter Smith III makes his debut on Blue Note Records with a strong and lyrical outing with the team of Taylor Eigsti/p, Matt Stevens/g, Harish Raghavan/b, Kendrick Scott/dr and guests Ambrose Akinmusire and James Franceis/p. The mix of interplay and pulsations is impressive here, with some intricate catch and release on the pulse of “River Styx” with Smith and Akinmusire. Stevens brings some nice guitar work over the percolating pulse that builds up to a rich climax on “lamplight” while creating delicate droplets on Kat Bush’s “Mother Stands For Comfort”. The percolating rhythm team ripples on “Pup-Pow” and the leader’s full formed fog of a town breezes around here like a pelican hovering over the white caps, or floating like a cirrus cloud over Scott’s brushes on “”Shine”. Warm embers of song.