Tommy Smith's special talent was obvious as soon as he appeared on the Edinburgh jazz scene in his early teens. He recorded his first album, Giant Strides, at the age of sixteen in 1983 with drummer John Rae, and that same year he won a scholarship, assisted by an extensive fund-raising programme organised by his music teacher, Jean Allison, to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Despite a busy schedule of touring, writing and recording (full bio here), Smith found the time and energy to launch the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra in 1995, and remains its director. SNJO has presented programmes of both repertory classics and more contemporary works, often specially commissioned.
Smith and the SNJO opened the 2008 Hamilton Jazz & Blues Festival Smith at the Town House performing his own expanded jazz arrangement of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. This was especially created for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and was premiered to huge acclaim as the opening concert of Edinburgh Jazz Festival in 2006 with pianist Brian Kellock as the featured soloist.
Born again at the 2006 Festival, having been the origin of the Clyde Rythm Group, the quartet of Sax, Guitar, Bass and Drums was augmented by the welcome presence of American Jazz Vocalist, Maria Speight for the 2007 Festival . They were delighted to be back at the 2008 even where they played at the closing session on the Sunday evening in The George
Established over two decades ago, the quartet has over the past 15 years or so concentrated on providing Jazz in South Lanarkshire, mainly in the Hamilton and East Kilbride area, with occasional forays elsewhere for jazz festivals and some open air events. Retaining two Lanarkshire original members, Tommy Graham (Bass) and Jim Barton (Reeds), the group is completed by Glasgow guitarist Eric Arbuckle and Drummer Bobby Orr and appeared at ML3 on Friday and The George on Saturday.
Mention the phrase "Glasgow Jazz Vocalist" and June Love's name is only one of a few that would spring immediately to the mind of a West of Scotland Jazz enthusiast. A regular big band vocalist, she brings to the small group performance the same combination of drive and sensitivity to both swing and ballads.
Having previously performed at the Hamilton Jazz Club Festival the organisors were delighted to welcome June back to Hamilton. The duo performinged on Friday at Bar West.
The Recipe? Put a Jazz Guitarist, of the Joe Pass, Tal Farlow idom, together with a bass-player with a funk background, add a swing drummer, stir it up and you have a very tasty Cadenza. During the last couple of years Lanarkshire musicians, guitarist Robbie Heatherington and Kevin Mullen (Bass) have been playing with drummer George Bayne, who hails from Denny, on a regular basis. With a range of material from their varied experience they can produce a range of styles, from Ballads to Blues and Jazz-Rock. This delighted the diners on Friday at Di Maggio's.
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