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Tommy Smith - Gymnopedie
Powerful yet lyrical works, they offer opportunities for improvisation
and Smith employs a jazzman's expressive tone to haunting and
thrilling effect.
INVERNESS COURIER
The Scottish jazz saxophonist, composer and orchestra leader works
frequently with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the BT Scottish
Ensemble and pianist Murray McLachlan who accompanies him on this
programme of music by Satie, Bartok, Grieg and the jazz pianist
Chick Corea, tasty morsels which are appetisers for more substantial
fare - Smith's two sonatas for saxophone and piano whose influences
range from Prokofiev to the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek
and songwriter Eubie Blake.
Powerful yet lyrical works, they offer opportunities for improvisation
and Smith employs a jazzman's expressive tone to haunting and
thrilling effect.
Inverness Courier
Thus jazz saxophonist Tommy Smith, along with leading classical
concert pianist Murray McLachlan, are superb on Smith's first
classical album, Gymnopedie (Linn Records CD).
The title track is one of three haunting compositions from Erik
Satie. There are two from Bela Bartok, who himself was inspired
by the folk music of Eastern Europe, two from Edward Greig and
two from Chick Corea.
This CD will be remembered however for the two sonatas written
by Smith himself for sax and piano. Each is of four movements,
and a wide range of moods and emotions is con jured up by these
two remarkable musicians.
These two works, Hall of Mirrors and Dreaming with Open Eyes,
deserve the full attention of classical buffs.
Burton Daily Mail
Saxophonist Tommy Smith draws on his well-established duo with
pianist Murray McLachlan in his first classical disc. As well
as the title piece and three other imaginative reconstructions
of music by Satie, the disc features minatures by Bartok, Chick
Corea and Grieg as an extended prelude to Smith's own pair of
meatier sonatas, a structure which replicates the form favoured
in their concerts. The progression from Hall of Mirrors - Sonata
No.1 to Dreaming With Open Eyes - Sonata No.2 reveals a marked
advance in the saxophonist's formal compositional technique, but
both are impressive and exciting pieces, and are superbly played
and vividly recorded.
The List (Glasgow & Edinburgh)
This is truly wonderful. Tommy's own two compositions are a bit
too jazzy for my classical programme but his interpretations of
other composers especially Satie are devine. Very definitely for
sultry summer evenings and I'll be including more during the summer.
The Falcon Radio
Although representing the classical side of saxophonist Tommy
Smith, there is no escaping the jazz influence, not only on his
sensuous performance of Satie, and supercharged interpretations
of Bartok, but also on the two very individual sonatas of his
own.
Classical pianist Murray McLachlan enters entirely into the spirit
of Smith's art. If you can imagine a recorder jazz album by Piers
Adams you will understand what this disc is all about.
The Recorder Magazine
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