Scotland's Music presented by Phil Cunningham, episode 6 "Heaven and Earth":

Find more information on the BBC Scotland website.

SNJO Tribute to John Coltrane at the 2007 Glasgow Jazz Festival

The Herald, 27 June 2007 -- by Rob Adams

* * * * *  (5 STARS)

FORTY years after his death, John Coltrane remains an inspiration. This was never in any doubt. But it was reinforced heroically both by the arrangements of the saxophonist's work that SNJO director Tommy Smith commissioned from contacts around the world for this celebration of the Coltrane legacy and by the manner in Smith's orchestra brought them off the page. There wasn't a note of hack work among these 10 pieces and it was instructive to hear the fully-realised ideas that could be made from fragments of melodies and these new ways of looking at music, much of which has become as familiar as Happy Birthday To You through constant re-use and revisiting.

SNJO lead trumpeter Ryan Quigley's re-imagination of Impressions produced a mini suite, with a classic Coltrane Quartet segueing into, first, a punchy orchestration then a lush adaptation that brought out the fury then the tender from Smith's tenor saxophone, and New York vibraphonist Joe Locke, in superimposing the gorgeous Naima on to a piece of his own, actually suggested that Friday's festival guest, Pat Metheny, might arrive early to take the first solo.

As it was, SNJO had enough top-class soloists of it's own, with trumpeter Tom MacNiven, tenorist Konrad Wiszniewski and altoist Paul Towndrow all producing fire and imagination. The wit of Florian Ross's take on Giant Steps - his steps were quite small and measured and the glorious, gorgeous chorale that Geoffrey Keezer fashioned from Dear Lord were only exceeded by the finale where Smith and Towndrow roared over The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost theme as if possessed.

Stunning.

The Scottman, 27 June 2007 -- by Kenny Mathieson

* * * *  (4 STARS)

A BIG question that faces anyone putting together a tribute project is whether to honour the letter or the spirit of their subject's music. In the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's 40th anniversary tribute to John Coltrane, Tommy Smith solved the problem by doing both.

This saxophonist chose to play ten largely familiar compositions from the Coltrane repertoire, but commissioned new arrangements from a diverse group of international musicians. His choice of material ranged across Coltrane's output, from Christian Jacob's carefully crafted Moment's Notice to late-period free turmoil.

Many musicians (and fans) prefer to ignore the final couple of radically experimental years in 1965-7, but Smith grasped that bull firmly by the horns, opening with Ryan Quigley's take on Impressions and closing with his own thrilling, frenetic evocation of The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Florian Ross's Giant Steps began with lovely muted brass. Joe Locke's Naima and Geoffrey Keezer's subtly coloured and textured Dear Lord brought respite in an often frantic evening. Pino Iodice arranged Coltrane's solo from Satellite for the whole band, Rick Taylor added new dimensions to Afro Blue, and Manu Pekar and Paul Towndrow offered contrasting but fascinating takes on the first two parts of A Love Supreme.

The band coped superbly with complex and unfamiliar music, with plenty of space for exciting and inventive soloing.

GERMAN SALES

Tommy Smith's album sales soar in Germany through his distributor ESC:

"Der Tenor Saxophonist Tommy Smith und sein Sextett zelebrieren Jazz der höheren Schule ohne Abzuschweifen." – NMZ, März 2005

"Als größte Herausforderung stellt sich Tommy Smith dem direkten Vergleich mit Joe Lovano – und besteht durch klare präzise Melodieführung." – JAZZZEIT, Mai/Juni 2005

"Tommy Smith besteht in diesem Kreis und wird souverän und überlegen zum Primus Inter Pares. Eine kompromisslose Jazzplatte." Stephan Richter in STEREO/FONO FORUM, Mai 2005.

"Swingender Modern Jazz mit abwechslungsreichen Arrangements." GITARRE & BASS, April 2005

"Musik auf allerhöchstem Niveau." Thomas Wörtche in JAZZPODIUM, April 2005

"Künstlerisch brillant, ein musikalischer Hochgenuss." AMAZON.DE

"Unbedingt anschaffen." MUSICOUTLOOK

"Lakonisch, lässig und routiniert ohne spröde zu sein zelebriert er als Leader ein wunderbares Album." MUSICOUTLOOK

"Das glasklar konzipierte Album kann sich mit Fug und Recht in die Galerie des Besten des zeitgenössischen Jazz einreihen." ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZIN

"Ein gelungenes Album, das seinen Platz in den Jazz-Charts sicher hat." ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZIN

"Evolution markiert einen wichtigen Punkt in Smith Karriere und im heutigen Jazz allgemein." JAZZDIMENSIONS.DE

"In den beeindruckenden Tempowechseln und wie con Geisterhand gelösten dramaturgischen Knoten in und zwischen den Songs zeigt sich die Klasse Smiths, der mit EVOLUTION einen Jazz-Charts verdächtigen Klassiker eingespielt hat." TELESCHAU

"Der Tenorist Tommy Smith ist keine vierzig und hat mehr gemacht als andere in einem Leben. Einer wie keiner, als Komponist und Saxophonist." WELTWOCHE 15/2005

"Und es gelingt ihm (Tommy Smith), sich selbst und die 5 anderen Kapazunder fast wie eine Working Band klingen zu lassen." CONCERTO, Juni/Juli 2005

"…und so hören wir eine Stunde facettenreichen und unaufgeregten Modern Jazz vom Feinsten." CONCERTO, Juni/Juli 2005