TOMMY SMITH - Embodying The Light: A Dedication To John Coltrane
Spartacus Records STS025
Tommy Smith (tenor saxophone); Pete Johnstone (piano); Calum Gourley (bass); Sebastiaan de Krom (drums)
As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of Coltrane's passing there will no doubt be a spate of Trane tribute albums, but it is doubtful if there will many (if any) finer than this offering from Tommy Smith and his new Quartet. Smith has said that he has waited a long time before making an album dedicated to the undisputed heavyweight of the the tenor saxophone, but as with much of Tommy's output timing is everything and now as the saxophonist reaches fifty (he was born in April 1967 just a few months before Coltrane's death), the time seems absolutely spot on.
It has been 34 years since the teenage Smith had the audacity of youth to title his debut album Giant Strides, yet the tackling of 'Giant Steps/Titan Strides' gave a hint of not just a precocious and rapidly developing talent but perhaps an indication of things to come. Throughout his career the saxophonist has been beholden to no-one, processing influences and moving on and yet distilling all this study of past masters into his own inimitable and distinctive voice.
It is this individuality that goes along way to validate Smith's case in presenting a dedication to Trane, and from the opening bars of 'Transformation' (a Smith original) it is obvious who the dedicatee is, and equally unmistakable as to who is playing the tenor saxophone. From the outset Smith's playing is totally assured, blistering through the changes with a controlled vigour that drags all along in it's wake. The superlative rhythm section are with him all the way, with bassist, Calum Gourey anchoring things down, and pianist Pete Johnstone filling in the harmony with big chunky chords that keep the saxophonist buoyant.
The ballad numbers are taken care of with 'Dear Lord' and 'Naima', superbly played and Tommy playing in the style and sound that many follows will readily associate with him, however it is the up tempo pieces that elicit the most euphoria, and reveal the exploratory nature of Smith's , and the quartet's playing. One has to go back as far as 2005 to the Forbidden Fruit album and prior to that The Christmas Concert recorded in 2001 to hear Tommy playing in such an unfettered manner. Never a free player, Smith revels in the time honoured tradition of playing over a chord sequence, but on the evidence here is perfectly able and willing to kick up a storm, with the notes tumbling out of the bell of his saxophone in some of his most declamatory playing. Always in total control of the solo's destiny, Smith peppers his tone with split notes and the use of overtones to add weight to his statements.
As if proof be needed, just take a listen to 'Resolution' with the saxophonist taking his solo after a blinder from Pete Johnstone, that is full of passion and fire. He follows that with a Quartet rendition, sans solos, of 'The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost' that is truly electrifying, and ups the ante still further; a truly remarkable performance. From here on in to the end of the album, things are allowed to settle, despite a rumbustious reading of Gershwin's 'Summertime', and the concluding 'Transition', a piece that Coltrane recorded in 1965 with his Classic Quartet that Smith and his colleagues keep suitably grounded.
And it is this tie with the Classic Quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones that Smith and his cohorts most readily identify, not slavishly copying but absorbing the spirit of this great music, and presenting heir musical dedication with grace, passion and conviction, and also (hopefully) indicating that this is just the first chapter for this fine group.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Spartacus Records STS025
Tommy Smith (tenor saxophone); Pete Johnstone (piano); Calum Gourley (bass); Sebastiaan de Krom (drums)
As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of Coltrane's passing there will no doubt be a spate of Trane tribute albums, but it is doubtful if there will many (if any) finer than this offering from Tommy Smith and his new Quartet. Smith has said that he has waited a long time before making an album dedicated to the undisputed heavyweight of the the tenor saxophone, but as with much of Tommy's output timing is everything and now as the saxophonist reaches fifty (he was born in April 1967 just a few months before Coltrane's death), the time seems absolutely spot on.
It has been 34 years since the teenage Smith had the audacity of youth to title his debut album Giant Strides, yet the tackling of 'Giant Steps/Titan Strides' gave a hint of not just a precocious and rapidly developing talent but perhaps an indication of things to come. Throughout his career the saxophonist has been beholden to no-one, processing influences and moving on and yet distilling all this study of past masters into his own inimitable and distinctive voice.
It is this individuality that goes along way to validate Smith's case in presenting a dedication to Trane, and from the opening bars of 'Transformation' (a Smith original) it is obvious who the dedicatee is, and equally unmistakable as to who is playing the tenor saxophone. From the outset Smith's playing is totally assured, blistering through the changes with a controlled vigour that drags all along in it's wake. The superlative rhythm section are with him all the way, with bassist, Calum Gourey anchoring things down, and pianist Pete Johnstone filling in the harmony with big chunky chords that keep the saxophonist buoyant.
The ballad numbers are taken care of with 'Dear Lord' and 'Naima', superbly played and Tommy playing in the style and sound that many follows will readily associate with him, however it is the up tempo pieces that elicit the most euphoria, and reveal the exploratory nature of Smith's , and the quartet's playing. One has to go back as far as 2005 to the Forbidden Fruit album and prior to that The Christmas Concert recorded in 2001 to hear Tommy playing in such an unfettered manner. Never a free player, Smith revels in the time honoured tradition of playing over a chord sequence, but on the evidence here is perfectly able and willing to kick up a storm, with the notes tumbling out of the bell of his saxophone in some of his most declamatory playing. Always in total control of the solo's destiny, Smith peppers his tone with split notes and the use of overtones to add weight to his statements.
As if proof be needed, just take a listen to 'Resolution' with the saxophonist taking his solo after a blinder from Pete Johnstone, that is full of passion and fire. He follows that with a Quartet rendition, sans solos, of 'The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost' that is truly electrifying, and ups the ante still further; a truly remarkable performance. From here on in to the end of the album, things are allowed to settle, despite a rumbustious reading of Gershwin's 'Summertime', and the concluding 'Transition', a piece that Coltrane recorded in 1965 with his Classic Quartet that Smith and his colleagues keep suitably grounded.
And it is this tie with the Classic Quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones that Smith and his cohorts most readily identify, not slavishly copying but absorbing the spirit of this great music, and presenting heir musical dedication with grace, passion and conviction, and also (hopefully) indicating that this is just the first chapter for this fine group.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
