Apr 7, 2026 1:21 PM
Reviews: Bucket o’ New Blue Note
Jazz and gospel are close blood relations. And fortunately, those Saturday night and Sunday morning worlds sometimes…
Walter Smith III joins a lofty group of new releases from Blue Note that includes recordings from Ron Carter, Bill Frisell and Immanuel Wilkins.
Apr 7, 2026 1:21 PM
Jazz and gospel are close blood relations. And fortunately, those Saturday night and Sunday morning worlds sometimes…
“The big thing was having multiple sections, ideas that develop slowly over time and don’t stray too far from an initial core idea,” Smith says of Return To Casual.
Jun 13, 2023 12:49 PM
Walter Smith III finds compositional inspiration in unexpected — and amusing — places. As an example, consider the…
The friendship that exists between Matthew Stevens (left) and Walter Smith III dates back when they were both members of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s band during the mid-to-late aughts.
Jun 7, 2022 4:20 PM
Even when speaking with Walter Smith III and Matthew Stevens on Zoom — with the tenor saxophonist being in Boston and…
Bassist Christian McBride (left), saxophonist Joshua Redman, drummer Brian Blade and pianist Brad Mehldau reconvened in the studio after more than two decades for RoundAgain.
Dec 31, 2020 8:44 AM
In 2020, DownBeat sought to cover the breadth of jazz, while also working to represent what was going on in the country…
Walter Smith III
Nov 22, 2023 1:18 PM
After almost a full year as chair of Berklee College of Music’s Woodwind Department, 39-year-old tenor saxophonist…
Saxophonist Walter Smith III (foreground) and guitarist Matthew Stevens have recorded a new album, In Common 2.
May 11, 2020 11:11 AM
Saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens achieved such artistic fulfillment with their 2018 album, In…
Herbie Hancock (left) and Evgeny Pobozhiy at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Guitar Competition on Dec. 4 in Washington, D.C.
Dec 4, 2019 8:32 PM
Evgeny Pobozhiy, a 30-year-old from Seversk, Russia, took first place at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz…
Saxophonist Remy Le Boeuf (center), who also performs in The Le Boeuf Brothers with his twin Pascal, is set to issue his leader debut, Light As A Word, on May 24.
Apr 12, 2019 9:59 AM
Remy Le Boeuf is wholly ensconced in a singular sonic world on Light As A Word, the alto saxophonist’s leader debut…
Joel Ross (left), Harish Raghavan, Matthew Stevens, Walter Smith III and Marcus Gilmore have a new album on Whirlwind.
Jan 22, 2019 9:47 AM
In Common, a newly formed quintet, had only a day-and-a-half to record its debut album. So, the co-leaders—tenor…
Jul 13, 2018 3:31 PM
Whether playing in all-star student bands, attending the Manhattan School of Music or leading the Le Boeuf Brothers…
Walter Smith III will join the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University later this summer.
Jun 21, 2016 5:19 PM
Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, the longtime home of jazz education pioneer David Baker (1931–2016),…
