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NATE SMITH
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Welcome to the Vermont Jazz Center. We are thrilled to present Nate Smith’s first live performance after winning two Grammy Awards on February 1st for Best Alternative Jazz Album (LIVE-ACTION), and Best Arrangement (for the composition, “Big Fish”, with the vocal group, säje, including Vermont vocalist Erin Bentlage). Nate’s career is surging forward, and we are honored to present him in Brattleboro. Just last week it was announced that he will follow Christian McBride as Music Director of the Newport Jazz Festival. The Festival’s chairman wrote: “We were looking for someone willing and able to honor the rich traditions of jazz, staying rooted in what the genre is at its core. At the same time, we needed someone we could count on to push the envelope, keeping the music fresh and forward-looking. That person is the remarkable Nate Smith.” Tonight’s concert kicks-off a tour with Smith’s current trio including pianist/keyboardist Julian Pollack (J3PO) and electric bassist CARRTOONS (Ben Carr).
Nate Smith is considered a “deep pocket” drummer. When an ensemble is “in the pocket,” each instrument locks into their own part and considers the overall group sound paramount. In the drummer-focused podcast “Go with Elmo,” Smith said: “Pocket to me is about the space in which all of the musicians on stage agree on time. When a band plays ‘in the pocket,’ they are all playing in the same space – they all agree on the distance between the notes, they all agree on the length of the notes, and they all agree on the way the notes are emphasized. Pocket always involves playing with other musicians.” The characteristics of Smith’s sound are solid time, a commitment to the natural build of an arrangement, funky when needed, not overly busy, and always responsive to the moment. In an interview with World Café he stated: “I think that space is very valuable in music – I’m not a chops drummer… my approach is to determine how to best utilize space, how to make the best use of dynamics, and how to develop rhythmic ideas in ways that are interesting.”
Over the years, Nate Smith has collaborated and toured with renowned artists like Brittany Howard, Pat Metheny, Ravi Coltrane, Childish Gambino, Norah Jones, Jon Batiste, Vulfpeck, The Fearless Flyers, Chris Potter, Charlie Hunter, and Kurt Elling. He has graced the cover of Modern Drummer magazine and provided the backbeat for Late Night with Seth Meyers’ house band. He cut his teeth in vocal legend Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program and toured and recorded as a member of bassist Dave Holland’s ensemble from 2003-2010.
One of the reasons why Smith is currently so visible in the public eye is that he embraced social media early on to stay connected with his fans. His undergraduate degree is in Media Arts and Design. He also had a natural affinity for using social media as a tool from an early age. Nate started posting videos of himself playing the drums on Instagram and Facebook around 2015 and was able to quickly generate a following that continues to this day. He is a smart strategist who intentionally applies the tools he has learned towards the goals of developing his own future and carefully cultivating his image. Nate’s latest album, Grammy award winning LIVE-ACTION, is a snapshot of his current vision. The music has a retro cover illustrating the bevy of keyboards and drums that he plays. Many of the sounds and grooves he conjures embrace the analog music of the 70s and were inspired by his father’s record collection which was primarily R&B. A quote from Smith on his website states: “I always wanted to make a record that sounded like it was recorded on a cassette in my bedroom…I wanted it to be the most personal human expression I could muster with the gear I had in the moment.”
Tonight, Nate Smith will appear in a trio setting with keyboardist J3PO (Julian Pollack) and bassist CARRTOONS (Ben Carr). J3PO is a Los Angeles-based pianist & keyboardist who was considered a child prodigy and appeared on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz in his late teens. Now based in LA, J3PO is primarily known for his keyboard work and sound design, especially using analog synths, FX pedals, and contemporary keyboards.
His style often blurs the lines between jazz, experimental hip-hop, and modern electronic genres. He has performed with Marcus Miller, Chris Botti, and is a member of Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective. Pollack has also performed/ recorded with Herbie Hancock, Ravi Coltrane, David Sanborn, Santana, Talib Kweli, Ledisi, Michael League, and many others.
The trio’s bassist is New York-based multi-instrumentalist Ben Carr, better known as CARRTOONS, a sought-after producer of social media videos, live performances and recording sessions. The unique bass lines and highly identifiable sound he creates have led to four NPR Tiny Desk appearances and co-signs from DJ Jazzy Jeff and Pete Rock. CARRTOONS has collaborated with Usher, Freddie Gibbs, Roy Ayers, Kiefer, George Clinton, Jadakiss and others.
Tonight, we will experience why Giovanni Russonello of the New York Times claims that Nate Smith’s “drumming is a marvel unto itself…Broad of palette, it has the rare ability to dial up the complexity and the sensitivity at the same time.”
The Vermont Jazz Center thanks Sonic Circus and a friend of the VJC’s Educational Programs for supporting this event.