Daniel Ian Smith and the Generations Ensemble
Daniel Ian Smith and the Generations Quintet at the Lily Pad (photo courtesy of Cary Mulcahy)
Doug Johnson, Vlade Guigni, Daniel, François Chanvallon, Fernando Huergo
I’m so proud of this new and evolving ensemble that I began this summer (2019) to act as a vehicle to play my original music and some of my favorite compositions by my dear friends and respected composers. We’ve played several concerts already in Cambridge, Franklin and Boston, MA and will be featured in Burlington, Westmore and Stowe, VT later this summer. I’m excited to announce that a sextet version of this group with a latin twist will be headlining the Stowe Jazz Festival in Stowe, VT on Friday, September 6th! It’s been a great pleasure to work with all of these amazing players including cats like Fernando Huergo and Doug Johnson whom I’ve had the pleasure of calling my dear friends and musical brothers for many years now in addition to some of my former students at the Berklee College of Music in Boston who have become first call players on the scene including Vlade Guigni, François Chanvallon and Charles Lincoln. I see a new record in our future…stay tuned!
The Latin Side of Billy Strayhorn band
Daniel Ian Smith and the Latin Side of Billy Strayhorn
Featuring:
Daniel Ian Smith-saxophones
John Baboian-guitar
Russell Hoffman-piano
Fernando Huergo-electric bass
Steve Langone-drums/percussion
The Latin Side of Billy Strayhorn project was organized by Daniel Ian Smith as a vehicle to play the timeless compositions of the great American composer Billy Strayhorn in a contemporary world music setting. The idea was inspired and conceived in part by the great “Latin Side of….” recordings by trumpet player/composer Brian Lynch and trombonist Conrad Herwig. Organized in 2012, the group has been featured at the Durango International Jazz Festival (Durango, Mexico), Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Discover Jazz Festival (Burlington, VT), guest artists at the JEN Annual convention (San Diego, CA 2016), the Berklee College of Music, Mosesian Arts Center, Watertown, MA, Ryles Jazz Club, and other venues. The group has been recognized and supported by the Strayhorn Foundation and featured by them in honor of the Billy Strayhorn Centennial Celebration in 2015. A recording of the group is slated for release in late 2019. The band performs arrangements and adaptations of Strayhorn’s compositions in addition to original compositions written in the spirit of Billy Strayhorn.
Daniel Ian Smith and the New World Jazz Composers Octet
Featuring:
Daniel Ian Smith/Felipe Salles-woodwinds
Tony D’Aveni/Walter Platt-trumpet/flugelhorn
Tim Ray-piano, Fernando Huergo-electric bass,
Mark Walker-drums & cymbals, Ernesto Diaz-percussion
The New World Jazz Composers Octet grew out of something I called the “Sanctuary Composers Forum” in conjunction with a concert series I ran for many years in Brookline, MA. The concept took off and we’ve premiered new music written for this ensemble by many great writers through the years including Ted Pease, Richard Lowell, Matthew Nicholl, Pablo Ablanedo, Mike Abene, Darrel Katz, Ken Schaphorst, Dana Brayton, Manuel Kaufmann, Jack Walrath, Ken Pullig, Steve Slagle, Bob Pilkington, Jeff Friedman and many others. The group has been active now for almost 20 years! The octet has released 3 recordings which have received critical acclaim in DownBeat, Jazz Times, All About Jazz and other international publications and we are just finishing our 4th recording featuring the music of Ted Pease, Matthew Nicholl, Michael Abene and myself! A special note of thanks goes to my dear friend, a constant source of inspiration and musical mentor, Maestro Ted Pease. Tedley is my co-leader, featured composer and co-producer for this ensemble. And it’s a great honor to work with him.