Established in June 2002, the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra features the very best young jazz musicians from Scotland. Showcasing endless talent, improvisational skills, exuberance and verve, the orchestra members demonstrate these traits in every performance and play with a collective maturity well beyond their years. With a repertoire that makes no concessions to their youth and featuring soloists of startling ambition and creativity, these young musicians bring alive the music and pay tribute to the true giants of jazz making their compositions sing with enthusiasm, style, personality and expression.
“TSYJO smashed it!!! I think that they had the best performance and piece of the night”
At a time when the oral jazz tradition is in increasing jeopardy, you’ve got to admire Tommy Smith. Berklee schooled in the 1980s, the Scottish saxophonist had a promising career in the United States. He was a member of Gary Burton’s mid-1980s quintet, with the vibraphonist producing Step by Step the first of four records Smith released on Blue Note between 1988 and 1992 featuring an all star line-up including John Scofield, Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette. But after a few years in the US, Smith decided to return home to Scotland, where he’s since set up his own Spartacus label and released a series of fine albums, including another all-star session, Evolution (ESC, 2003), and Forbidden Fruit (Spartacus, 2005), with his Scottish quartet.