Tommy Smith - Emergence

Over the last week I've been listening to this 2011 cd by Tommy Smith and the Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Tommy Smith is one of, if not the, hardest working Jazz musicians in Scotland today. His encouragement of young Jazz musicians is a great encouragement to many and has resulted in many fine recordings.

Of special note on this disc I would mention the version of the Flintstones theme, which is filled with life and energy, surely the only appropriate way to cover such a ya-ba-da-ba-doo tune. The version of 'Take The A Train', the Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington standard is a highlight on the disc.

If you don't think you like Jazz try this disc and you will find you do. I would also encourage you, once you try this disc and discover Tommy's music look out for other discs such as Torah, and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra Rhapsody In Blue Live and too many other Tommy Smith recordings to mention here.
Get the disc, enjoy the groove, love the music.

I've been listening to this EST album today, Live at Hamburg.

EST = Esbjörn Svensson Trio, a Swedish Jazz trio who were one of the great Jazz trio's of the period 1993 to 2008 when Esbjörn Svensson tragically was killed in a scuba diving accident.

This is the Trio's second last album release, as the title suggests recorded live in Hamburg, only to be followed by their final recording Leucocyte.

The Trio have played together for a long time and that really pays dividends in their live work. Dan Berglund's bass is at times pounding, at others mellow and Magnus Öström's drumming is a wonderful thing of beauty. Esbjörn Svensson leads the Trio from the piano with wonderfully inventive runs and jumps around the key board.

If you want to listen to contemporary European Jazz I can't think of anywhere better to start. If you are just getting into Jazz try the Trio's 1996 disc EST Plays Monk, an easier way in.

Good Music Friday

The new Branford Marsalis Quartet album is great. Released in March this is a must listen to set of tunes.

The Quartet have been playing together for ten years now. In today's Jazz world keeping the same line up for ten years is a rare thing. But it really does pay off as the musicians really hang together in this set.

Great bass work from Eric Revis if you are a bass fan (and why wouldn't you be?). It looks like the Quartet are only playing England in the UK this year, but let's hope it isn't too long before they find their way up to Scotland.

Miles Davis

For the last half hour I been jumping round blogs listening to Miles Davis 'Round ABout Midnight. Is there a better Jazz trumpeter than Miles?