Walter Smith III: Twio Vol 2 album review – Graceful and artful
The respected jazz tenor continues to push at the boundaries of the form to joyous effect
The tenor saxophone, bass and drums configuration has an auspicious history in jazz. Sonny Rollins’ Way Out West and Joe Henderson’s The State Of The Tenor recordings instantly spring to mind as benchmarks. Walter Smith lll, who has established himself as one of the most authoritative tenorists of his generation, added to those revered albums with his Twio set in 2018 and he finds further inspiration in the format with its successor.
From a long and distinguished line of Texas tenors, the Houston-born Smith has chosen a largely familiar but not overplayed selection of jazz standards. These he explores with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Kendrick Scott, with the legendary Ron Carter replacing Sanders on five tracks and fellow saxophonist Branford Marsalis forming a twin-tenors frontline on two. The mood is generally playful, with Smith revelling in the freedom of this trio setting. ‘My Ideal’, probably best known as one of trumpeter Chet Baker’s vocal hits, is a lovely loose-limbed, rakish opener. ‘Circus’, from drummer Art Blakey’s early 1960s Jazz Messengers period, dances with gracefulness and potency, and Thelonious Monk’s ‘Light Blue’ artfully continues the sense of exploration within the tradition.
Carter’s bass solo on ‘Casual-Lee’ is masterly and his accompaniment to Smith’s beautiful interpretation of Ellington and Strayhorn’s ‘Isfahan’ has an assured invention. What comes across particularly in all ten tracks is a feeling of relaxed creativity. Marsalis and Smith have a ball as they join forces in harmony and trade choruses without any sense of trying to outdo one another. Indeed, on the closing ‘Swingin’ At The Haven’, written by Marsalis’ dad Ellis, the pair swing and improvise as a tag team, bringing a touch of joyful conspiracy over Carter and Scott’s spring-heeled rhythm section.
Twio Vol 2 is released by Blue Note on Friday 6 March; picture: Travis Bailey.