Jazz Journal’s Brian Payne writes, “It’s a real joy.”
REVIEW: Fraser Smith
LJN’s Len Weinreich writes, “Excellent album. Tip top everyone.”
Jazzwise Magazine: June 2023
Another banner issue, filled with Ubuntu artists! And 4 STAR album reviews!!!
REVIEWS
Sandy Brown Jazz covers Fraser Smith and Sharp Little Bones releases.
REVIEW: Fraser Smith
This is a very well balanced quartet that has developed an excellent rapport that shines through throughout these performances. FOUR STARS!
INTERVIEW: Fraser Smith
London Jazz News chats with the exceptional young sax man.
Watch: the Fraser Smith Quartet shares ‘Might Not’ video from new album Tip Top!
The new album is released on 21 April on Ubuntu Music with its live launch at PizzaExpress Jazz Club, Dean Street, London
For the full article, please click on the image, above.
PREVIEW: Fraser Smith
A while to release certainly but with Rob Barron the secret weapon on piano, tenorist Fraser Smith's Tip Top is a toe tapping prospect going on the teased out hors d'oeuvre unveiled this week from the saxophonist's quartet. Smith you may recall is on Joe Webb's rousing Summer Chill. Issuing label Ubuntu in their latest panegyric see Smith as a Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet and Wardell Gray influencee. Birmingham-born player Smith is an alumnus of Cardiff's Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and London's Trinity Laban.
For the full article, please click on the image, above.
Ubuntu Music Signs Sax Man Fraser Smith For Debut Album Release
Fraser Smith / Tip Top!
Release Date: 7th April 2023
CD & Digital Formats / UBU0119
Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the upcoming release of Tip Top!, the debut album from tenor sax player Fraser Smith, which will be released on 7th April 2023.
Tip Top! is the current stop-off-point in the musical journey/career of Fraser. Two decades of study and scholarship have informed this album of original material. Wholly inspired by the music and artists of the late bebop to early hard bop periods, Fraser pays tribute to his heroes with ten tracks stylistically dedicated to the jazz masters of the mid-twentieth century.
A slightly late starter, Fraser picked up the sax at age 15, and at around the same discovered a Charlie Parker CD in the Woolworths discount bin. These incidents started him on a lifetime path of decoding and understanding bebop and its descendent genres. With no musicians in his immediate family, he was left to his own devices, listening and playing along to the CDs of Louis Armstrong and Scott Hamilton. Three years later Fraser was accepted onto the jazz course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where he later graduated with first class honours. After that he moved to the capital to complete his Masters Degree at the prestigious Trinity College of Music, London.
Fraser Smith (Photographer: Benthe de Vries)
Homing in on swing and bebop, Fraser then continued to learn the craft the old way. Through thousands of hours on and off stage he listened and emulated to inform his own sound. The result is a style that has been described as rich and firmly rooted in the jazz tradition. Contrary to many of his contemporaries he takes prominent influence from the likes of Mobley, Dexter, Illinois Jacquet and unsung hero of the Tenor Wardell Gray (with a track on the album written in dedication).
Fraser has worked professionally for the last 12 years, playing as far away as Mexico and China, and everywhere in between with a whole range of projects and bands. He’s led his own group at world famous Ronnie Scott’s numerous times and is a regular on the UK jazz club scene.
Tip Top! was an effort to solidify and record some of the musical experiences Fraser was having. With jazz being transient in its nature, gigs come and go. The vibrant and world class ‘straight ahead’ London scene is happening every night and without stopping to take note, it can pass one by. For this recording Fraser assembled a top band of musicians whom he was playing with on-the-fly on a regular basis in different set-ups and wrote music specifically for the group, to solidify the communion.
Fraser describes the project: “I wanted to take a snapshot of where I was at that point with my playing. It is only recently I’ve felt that years and years of study and performing have begun to manifest, allowing me to express myself more accurately. Feeling a new control and facility enabled me to compose in the vein I was aiming for. This was another major driving force behind this venture.”
Left to right: Fraser Smith, Rob Barron (Photographer: Leo Mansell)
Rob Barron, pianist (and Ubuntu artist), is one of the best in the business and has a top reputation across London and Europe. He has played with Benny Golson, Grant Stewart and Phil Woods to name just a small handful. From Hollywood scores to the most in-demand side man, he’s one of the very best in the music business. The same can be said for Steve Brown, first call drummer for many of the US masters when they’re in town. He was the regular UK drummer for the late jazz legend Barry Harris and has also toured extensively with Scott Hamilton among others. Bassist Simon Read is a young player making waves, already playing with some of London’s best improvisers.
Left to right: Steve Brown, Rob Barron, Simon Read, Fraser Smith (Photographer: Leo Mansell)
From the very first rehearsal the band was ‘oven ready’, with little actual musical direction needed. As hoped from the outset, a connection was made and everyone in the group felt the music in the same way.
For a group with a sound as specific as this, there was only one place to take them to record. Durham Sound Studios located in Kentish Town (London) has the ghost of an old phonograph store sign above the door. Not a computer in site, you can smell the solder from the owner making last minute adjustments to the vintage equipment. Straight to tape, the band laid each track down in no more than two takes using gear from the era they pay homage to.
Fraser Smith (Photographer: Benthe de Vries)
What started out as an effort to capture Fraser’s current experience of the London live jazz scene, became an amalgamation of things. It now stands as a tribute to his heroes, a small gesture in return for countless hours of music and enjoyment that the original creators themselves sacrificed everything to offer. And finally, it stands up as an album in its own right, albeit highly stylised. A contribution to the huge tapestry of musicians today striving to keep modern jazz alive, playing the music to the best of their capacity in honour of their idols.
Fraser continues with his thoughts concerning Ubuntu Music, his new record label: “Ubuntu has been on my radar for a long time due to the amount of amazing artists that they represent. I was thrilled for Martin (Hummel) to come onboard after the initial stages of the production of my album. He shared a wealth of knowledge about the process of releasing and comes at it with a genuine interest in the music and musicians. I don’t think the same can be said for other labels!”
Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, concludes: “Fraser is one of the strong emerging talents in the London jazz scene, paying his respect to the masers while playing on his terms. Tip Top! swings like it was recorded in the golden age of jazz in the sixties. With Rob Barron on piano leading the excellent rhythm section, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable, timeless ride.”
For further information, please contact:
Fraser Smith (Artist) fraserjsmith@hotmail.co.uk
Emma Perry (UK Publicity) emmasarahperry@gmail.com
Martin Hummel/Ubuntu Music (Worldwide): martin@ubuntumanagementgroup.com
Ubuntu Music to Release Pianist Joe Webb’s Latest Project
Joe Webb / Summer Chill
24th June 2022
CD & Digital Formats / UBU0115
Joe Webb (photographer: Nicholas Andrews)
Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of the gifted pianist, Joe Webb, for the release of his next project, Summer Chill, on 24th June 2022.
Joe is highly regarded and leading force on the U.K jazz scene today. He grew up in Wales before moving to London in 2013, where he has been active ever since.
Joe regularly performs around Europe and has played in venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Duc des Lombards, The Royal Albert Hall, Dizzy’s Jazz Club in New York City and the CCB in Lisbon.
Along with his trio and Webb City, he can be heard with the acclaimed Kansas Smitty’s, Hailey Tuck, Adrian Cox and Rob Luft, as well as working with Jamie Cullum and many other artists.
Jamie Cullum and Joe Webb (self-portrait)
“There are few people more joyous to listen to at the piano than Joe Webb”
--Jamie Cullum
For Joe’s newest release, Summer Chill, he has assembled some of his favourite musicians: some he has played with for many years and others who he has recently met. The band features, guitarist Alex Haines, bassist Will Sach, drummer Jas Kayser, percussionist João Caetano and guesting saxophonist Fraser Smith.
Left to right: Fraser Smith, Joe Webb, Will Sach, Jas Keyser, Alex Haines, João Caetano (Photographer: João Caetano)
Joe describes the project: "The idea behind the project was to create a soundtrack to a pool party in the 1960s. I spent some time watching films throughout the recent lockdowns which were inspired by this era."
The album is mostly arrangements/interpretations from the 1950s-60s with songs from Elvis Presley, LaVern Baker, Georgie Fame, Mel Tormé, Erroll Garner, Freddie Green, Cannonball Adderley and The Clovers, as well as two original compositions by Joe.
“Joe is a great young pianist…go check him out!”
--Jason Rebello
Left to right: Alex Haines, Will Sach, Jas Keyser (partly hidden), Joe Webb (Photographer: Will Sach)
Joe explains further: “Even though it was difficult to write music during the past two years, I felt it was important to document this period in some way, especially with the musicians I had spent the most time with during this period”.
This is the third album that Joe will be releasing on Ubuntu Music: "I am really happy to be releasing this music with the ever-growing Ubuntu Music Family. It’s lovely to have this album associated with many great friends and musicians."
Joe Webb
Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, shares his perspective: “It’s a pleasure to have Joe back with his third release on the label. He never ceases to entertain and reward his audiences with music that is readily embraced. ‘Summer Chill’ continues in this vein and will certainly delight all who listen. We’re proud to extend this valued relationship.”
For further information, please contact:
Joe Webb (Artist): joewebbmusic5@gmail.com
Emma perry (UK Publicity) emmasarahperry@gmail.com
Martin Hummel/Ubuntu Music (Worldwide): martin@ubuntumanagementgroup.com