Tom Smith Quintet
Twice finalist of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year programme in 2014 and 2016, rising star saxophonist/bass clarinettist/composer Tom Smith went on to win the Peter Whittingham Development Award from Help Musicians UK in 2018, a high honour. Since then he’s worked with Grammy Award-winner Maria Schneider and Donny McCaslin (David Bowie), while he’s performed with leading jazz bands such as the Gareth Lockrane Big Band, Jim Mullen’s Volunteers, the Jonny Mansfield Elftet and the BBC Concert and Patchwork Jazz Orchestras. Tom’s debut album ‘Gecko’ (produced by Tim Garland) received strong praise (“an attractive set of originals that interweaves rhythmic vamps with richly melodic counterpoint”, Jazzwise), and he’s now preparing for the first recording of his own Big Band. But for this 606 show, Tom has put together an inspired lineup to perform the music of jazz piano legend Cedar Walton. Described by Tom as ‘an incredible collection of joyful and melodic swinging compositions’, he’ll be joined by 2022 Jazz FM Award ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ and Mercury Prize nominee Fergus McCreadie (piano), along with renowned flautist and arranger Gareth Lockrane, Joe Lee (bass) & Luke Tomlinson (drums).
“[Tom Smith] …something really special…a player to seek out again” London Jazz