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Ian Hendrickson-Smith

Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophonist and Flutist Ian Hendrickson-Smith has been and continues to be one of the most sought after musicians in New York City. Mostly noted for his remarkable tone, soulful approach and blues driven melodies he's been reaching audiences world-wide through numerous recordings and live appearances. Born in New Orleans, Ian Hendrickson-Smith began his professional music career in 1996, after four years of studies at the Manhattan School of Music.

Ian's extensive recording experience most recently includes the release of his fourth date as a leader, titled "Blues in the Basement" (Cellar Live Records) following the releases of "Still Smokin'" (2004 Sharp Nine Records),"Party of Three" (2003, K-Pasta Records) and his highly regarded debut CD, "Up in Smoke!" (2003, Sharp Nine Records). He can also be heard on a host of other records as a sideman, check out the "Recordings" page for complete info.

Hendrickson-Smith has worked/and or recorded with: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Mofro, Robbie Williams, Amy Winehouse, The Charles Mingus Big Band Workshop, Phillip Harper, Etta Jones, David Hazeltine, Melvin Sparks, Danny Moore, Popa Chubby, The J.B.'s (Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis), Adam Scone, Lee Fields, Michael "Spike" Wilner, Mark Ronson, Shiner Massive, David Sanborn, The Hotpants, The Macktet, The Uptown Quintet, The Night Crawlers, etc.

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Liner Notes

Adam Shulman Septet: West Meets East

Read "Adam Shulman Septet: West Meets East" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


Quiet as it's kept, too many of today's finest jazz artists are given short shrift by an industry that seems to value product of a fleeting nature over true craft and a reverence for the jazz legacy. This makes it particularly challenging for a talent like Adam Shulman to break through to a wider audience. A fixture on the Bay Area scene since 2002, the pianist has a knack for accompanying singers such as Paula West and often performs as ...

Album Review

Michael Leonhart Orchestra: The Normyn Suites

Read "The Normyn Suites" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Gli eclettici sviluppi orchestrali di Michael Leonhart, tra maestosi affreschi evocativi e trascinanti momenti rock e soul, tornano a entusiasmarci con questo magistrale The Normyn Suites, dove la poetica della leggerezza convive con scelte di vivo impatto ritmico e timbrico. Le due forti propensioni musicale dell'autore sono ben bilanciate: quella impressionista (che ha caratterizzato opere ammalianti come Lovers di Nels Cline e il suo The Painted Lady Suite) e quella legata alla popular music, maturata nelle collaborazioni con Steely Dan, ...

6
Album Review

Ian Hendrickson-Smith: The Lowdown

Read "The Lowdown" reviewed by Jack Bowers


American alto saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith and Canadian tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds had been gigging together for almost two decades, mostly in Canada, but hadn't preserved any of their encounters on record until Hendrickson-Smith invited his companion to join him for a studio date in November 2019 at the renowned Rudy Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. The album was planned as a tribute to drummer Lawrence Leathers who died in June of that year, age thirty-seven. Leathers' nickname was ...

8
Album Review

Ian Hendrickson-Smith: The Lowdown

Read "The Lowdown" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


Those who thought that the re-emergence of vinyl records might be a passing fad as a saleable medium in this era of CDs, streaming and MP3 downloads, are proving to be wrong. The latest sales figures produced by RIAA for the first half of this year show vinyl sales at $232 million compared to CD sales at $130 million. This is the the first time in 34 years that this happened.So with the wind in his sales (sic), ...

5
Album Review

Adam Shulman Septet: West Meets East

Read "West Meets East" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The “west" here is represented by San Francisco-based pianist and group leader Adam Shulman, the “east" by the other half-dozen members of Shulman's impressive septet. Even though the reasons that led to the alliance are ambiguous, what matters is the payoff, and that is more than admirable from any vantage point. As if to mirror the ensemble's six-and-one makeup, Shulman wrote six of the album's seven engaging numbers; the seventh (the rapid-fire “Whose Blues") was composed by ...

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Multiple Reviews

Ian Hendrickson-Smith: Presenting & Blues in the Basement

Read "Ian Hendrickson-Smith: Presenting & Blues in the Basement" reviewed by Ivana Ng


Night Crawlers Presenting Cellar Live 2007 Ian Hendrickson-Smith Blues in the Basement Cellar Live 2007

With the dog days approaching, Presenting captures the cool, refreshing atmosphere of The Cellar Jazz Club. The Night Crawlers recorded at the Vancouver venue in order to capture the raw feel of a live performance, a ...

186
Album Review

Ian Hendrickson-Smith: Still Smokin'

Read "Still Smokin'" reviewed by Peter Aaron


As with his fellow neo-bopper, tenorist Eric Alexander, New Orleans-bred alto man Ian Hendrickson-Smith isn't exactly breaking acres of new ground stylistically. But like Alexander, he remains an unquestionable master of the genre; at a mere 31 years of age, Hendrickson-Smith, who doubles on flute, is the possessor of a world-weary, tender tone many players his senior would kill for (the soft caress of Art Pepper comes to mind.) For the most part, Still Smokin', Hendrickson-Smith's second ...

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Performance / Tour

Ian Hendrickson-Smith and David Hazeltine at Tula's - October 15

Ian Hendrickson-Smith and David Hazeltine at Tula's - October 15

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 TULA’S JAZZ CLUB 2214 2nd Ave, Seattle 7:30pm Reservations: 206-443-4221 Saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith, who has been to Seattle a number of times recently with the wildly popular soul group Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, shares the bill at Tula’s Jazz Club with pianist David Hazeltine on Thursday, October 15. Joining the group will be Phil Sparks on bass and Matt Jorgensen on drums. BIO: Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophonist and Flutist ...

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Festival

State College (PA) Jazz Festival, July 21 & 22 - Featuring Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Russ Kassoff Trio, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Catherine Dupuis

State College (PA) Jazz Festival, July 21 & 22 - Featuring Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Russ Kassoff Trio, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Catherine Dupuis

Source: All About Jazz

Friday, July 21st and Saturday, July 22nd (rain or shine)

Legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and acclaimed clarinetist Ken Peplowski with State High Alums vocalist Catherine Dupuis ('76) and Ian Hendrickson-Smith('92), saxophones

The Russ Kassoff Trio D Russ Kassoff, piano, Martin Wind, bass and Tim Horner, drums

FREE Event! Bring your lawnchairs, blankets and picnic baskets!

Downtown State College, PA Ample parking and lodging packages available Information: 888-221-6670

The Second Annual State College (PA) Jazz Festival will ...

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Festival

State College (PA) Jazz Festival features Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski and Ian Hendrickson-Smith

State College (PA) Jazz Festival features Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski and Ian Hendrickson-Smith

Source: All About Jazz

NEW YORK - The Second Annual State College Jazz Festival will kick off on Friday, July 21st with music beginning at 5:00pm at Central Parklet continuing through the evening and all day Saturday, July 22nd at the Allen Street Stage. New York-based jazz vocalist Catherine Dupuis returns to her hometown to produce the SCJF, involving some of the best jazz talent in the centre region together with nationally-acclaimed jazz stars.

Local artists slated to perform at SCJF'06 are The Valley ...

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Recording

Ian Hendrickson-Smith Releases "Still Smokin'" on Sharp Nine Records

Ian Hendrickson-Smith Releases "Still Smokin'" on Sharp Nine Records

Source: All About Jazz

Street Date September 21, 2004

Alto saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith follows up his debut CD (Up in SMOKE! SHP 1025) with another live recording from NYC's SMOKE Jazz Club entitled Still Smokin'.

Hendrickson-Smith is rejoined by first-call pianist David Hazeltine and drummer Joe Strasser and has added New York heavyweights Peter Washington, Ryan Kisor and Peter Bernstein to the mix. Hendrickson-Smith's big, open, bluesy sound is reminiscent of alto masters Cannonball Adderley and Jackie McLean. The band's conception, in ...

"Mr. Hendrickson-Smith boasts a relaxed, warm melodic bent and an engaging sound; he's a real swinger, and he's steeped in the blues…..an old soul who's got something to say that people ought to hear." -Zan Stewart, Jazziz Magazine

"He remains an unquestionable master of the genre; at a mere thirty one years of age, Hendrickson-Smith, who doubles on flute, is the possesor of a world-weary tone that many players his senior would kill for." -Peter Aaron, All About Jazz

"Hendrickson-Smith's straight-ahead session captures the essence of a century of great music...an album that brings out the best in straight-ahead jazz for the 21st century." -Cadence Magazine

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Normyn Suites

Sunnyside Records
2022

buy

West Meets East

Cellar Records
2020

buy

The Lowdown

Cellar Live
2020

buy

Tonight Is Now

Cellar Live
2013

buy

Naptown Legacy

Rubin Museum of Art
2013

buy

Blues In The Basement

Unknown label
2006

buy

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