Taking Off: Tom Smith

"All my music is based on how I hear the world and the gigs that I go to see. It's kind of like I'm transcribing life. That’s how I try and think of it."

So says Tom Smith, a London-based saxophonist and bandleader who is rapidly making a name for himself both as an exceptionally gifted improviser and composer. His debut album Gecko (2020) showcased a drumless chamber jazz trio featuring pianist Will Barry and vibraphonist Johnny Mansfield.

His most recent release, A Year in the Life (reviewed in Jazzwise March 2025), finds Smith adventurously exploring the timbral possibilities of an 18-piece big band.

"I've always loved listening to big bands. I think it's probably the thing I grew up on. A big moment for me was seeing Guy Barker's big band performing his Amadeus Project album at Ronnie Scott's when I was 11".

Ever since, Smith has been hooked on the emotionally evocative nature of big band music.

‘There’s something that still happens every time I ever see a big band perform and whenever I play in one. There’s this vibe and anticipation that anything can happen – a sense of wonder and openness to the music that I absolutely love’.

Smith’s big band is certainly stacked with talent, but it is the two tenor powerhouses Alex Garnett and Paul Booth that really make the music sparkle.

"Both of them really throw themselves into their instrument," explains Smith, "but they've each got a different tonal edge. Alex is just one of the most unbelievable, incredible saxophone players on the planet. I love how swingy he feels and how much wild abandon there is in his playing. Paul plays these lyrical lines and has got this incredibly rounded, direct sound. His playing is very unpredictable".

Music has played a key role in Smith’s life from earliest childhood: "My grandpa was a drummer, my dad plays double bass and my brother played the trumpet. Music was always a big part of family gatherings – getting together and jamming and finding new music together".

It was in school bands where Smith built up his chops and fell in love with jazz: "Those were definitely the happiest moments of my childhood. I would just sit in class waiting for lunch break so that I could run over to the music block and start playing in a band, or have my lesson, or just have fun experimenting with sounds".

Within a few years, he would be twice finalist of BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year (2014 and 2016).

Smith describes the fluid bebop of Charlie Parker, the exuberant hard bop of Cannonball Adderley and the sounds of 1950-60s Blue Note records as the sonic centres of gravity in his musical universe.

"I still face everything in life around those eras. I've grown my scope a lot, but I always found myself returning to Parker and Cannonball especially and the sounds of those muscley, swinging saxophone players".

Modern sax legends such as Chris Potter, Joshua Redman and Jan Garbarek also continue to be big influences: "I probably listen to more tenor players than I do alto players. However, I think I can personally express myself better on the alto".

In addition to sax, Smith enjoys making use of his bass clarinet.

"It's so resonant and has a whole personality of warmth. It's got its intricacies and its quirks, but the sound that you can get out of the lower register is just huge".

The squeakier upper register can present more challenges when improvising, earning it a nickname of ‘the goose’ among bandmates.

Smith has a refreshing enthusiasm for London’s vibrant jazz scene: "As a teenager, I was seeing more jazz gigs than probably 99 percent – well, probably 100 percent – of the population. I saw so many. It became the thing I loved to do most".

He continues to enjoy sharing this enthusiasm with other like-minded musicians: "I'm enjoying collaborating with lots of different people and different bands. I love playing old music as well as bringing new compositions and trialling new stuff out. I'm doing a lot
of quartet and quintet blowing gigs around London".

He speaks fondly of recent sideman appearances for groups including 1970s funk band Resolution 88 and Rod Oughton’s OK Aurora.

"The big band is of course my main focus at the moment. I’m just trying to book as many things as I can. But as you can appreciate, organising 18 fellow musicians is quite a logistical challenge. I've already got another record written and ready to go. It includes a 35-minute suite inspired by film music, with each part referencing various different films and genres. But it’s going to take some time to actually record it".

A future return to chamber jazz is also a possibility: "I've been working so hard on this incredibly maximalist sound recently, but I'd be really interested to return to the Gecko trio to see how I would approach it now. Will, Johnny and I have all got our own bands, and I think we could all now have a completely different angle on it."