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Wayne Smith Jr.

Nurtured in the legendary Philadelphia jazz scene, Wayne Smith, Jr.’s career as drummer is as promising as it is eclectic. After graduating from the famed Creative and Performing Arts High School, he went on to study at the world renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston. Eager to advance his music career, Wayne began performing regularly at staples of the Philadelphia jazz community including Chris’ Jazz Cafe and Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus. As his reputation grew, he branched out, performing in New York, Baltimore and Washington D.C alongside such well known musicians as Donald Byrd, Orrin Evans, Duane Eubanks, John Ellis, Stacy Dillard and Bootsie Barnes.  He teamed up with Victor North (saxophonist) and Lucas Brown (organist) to form Three Blind Mice and the trio still performs together to this day. After being tapped to join the legendary Sun Ra Akestra, Wayne toured Europe, Canada, and Australia, which would prove instrumental in his development as an artist.

During his travels, Wayne was exposed to a variety of musical genres and styles that piqued his interest and stimulated his musical growth. He began to explore a blossoming interest in rock music, anchoring a group that went on to do multiple recordings. He also began to pursue relationships with other musicians. It was during this time that he reunited with a former band mate, pianist George Burton. "I've known Wayne since I was about 16 years old. He was the first drummer I used regularly. Over time, I started using different cats to try to get a different feel on my music. But, the problem with that is that after every gig I always thought ‘if Wayne had played, he would have murdered it’, so I always went back."

With a heightened passion, Wayne developed his now signature playing style that revels in the dynamic interplay between musicians. His experimentation inspired a new musical sensibility; one that remains grounded while still ferociously ambitious.  Tim Warfield (acclaimed tenor saxophonist and Temple University professor) has described Wayne as an “inventive drummer who displays an in-depth musical consciousness, quite willing to embrace the moment, yet never losing himself nor the tradition in the search." Jazz guitarist Steve Giordano agrees, stating “I love playing with Wayne as his natural feel and energy always adds to my compositions in his unique way. Even when he just lays it down, his feel is so good that the music always swings.”

Recently, Wayne has showcased his unique style in New York City, performing at Smalls Jazz Club, Smoke, Zinc Bar, and Fat Cats.

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Album Review

Tyler Mitchell Octet: Sun Ra's Journey Featuring Marshall Allen

Read "Sun Ra's Journey Featuring Marshall Allen" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Alternando momenti in cui si avverte chiara l'eredità del dedicatario dell'opera (sua la metà dei brani) ad altri un po' più routinieri, i primi e i secondi impreziositi dai graffi dell'ospite d'onore Marshall Allen, che di Sun Ra fu come tutti sappiamo uomo di fiducia per svariati decenni (e che ai tempi dell'incisione in oggetto, live allo Smalls nell'agosto 2021, aveva da qualche mese varcato la soglia dei 97!), si sdipana questo pregevole lavoro a firma di Tyler Mitchell, newyorchese, ...

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Album Review

Tyler Mitchell: Sun Ra's Journey Featuring Marshall Allen

Read "Sun Ra's Journey Featuring Marshall Allen" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Sun Ra's Journey from the Tyler Mitchell Octet signals listeners to begin their own happy joy dance. Recorded live at Smalls Jazz Club in August 2021, the music is an animating run through six familiar Sun Ra compositions, plus plenty of surprises. Tyler Mitchell is a Ra alumnus who can be heard on the Black Saint recordings Hours After (1989) and Reflections In Blue (1987), Live In Kalisz 1986 (Lanquidity Records, 2019) and the 1986 studio session Prophet ...

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Album Review

Tyler Mitchell: Sun Ra's Journey Featuring Marshall Allen

Read "Sun Ra's Journey Featuring Marshall Allen" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


Along with elder alum, alto saxophonist Marshall Allen, Sun Ra's Journey Featuring Marshall Allen, the second of bassist Tyler Mitchell's deep dives into Sun Ra's master playbook, breaks glorious from the start. As an entry into the Smalls Live Living Masters Series, this octane-infused set was recorded live in 2022 at Smalls in NYC as the city began to cautiously emerge from eighteen months of pandemic-induced nightmare and doom. “Care Free" greets all fellow Arkestra crewmen and women ...

4
Album Review

Tyler Mitchell: Dancing Shadows

Read "Dancing Shadows" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


There's a buzz to Dancing Shadows that is akin to the first time one stumbled upon a late 1950s to late 1960s Blue Note, Riverside, Verve, Impulse! or Prestige recording and time just stopped and the music took you places you were eager to go whether you knew where you were going or not. You stared at the cover, the wall, into the new, opening world. It may well have been your first mind-altering experience without, (or in conjunction with) ...

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Sun Ra Arkestra Veteran Drummer Wayne Smith, Jr. Releases 'Be Still,' A Powerful Venture In Emotion And Tranquility

Sun Ra Arkestra Veteran Drummer Wayne Smith, Jr. Releases 'Be Still,' A Powerful Venture In Emotion And Tranquility

Source: Outside in Music

Wayne Smith Jr. is a drummer, composer, and educator with a multifaceted palette of soundscapes and genres at his disposal. Having toured across three continents, performed throughout the New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. music scenes, and currently working as a staple member of the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, Smith’s accolades rightly herald his abilities as a master craftsman of the drum set. Described as an “inventive drummer who displays an in-depth musical consciousness,” and who is “willing to embrace ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Sun Ra's Journey...

Cellar Music Group
2023

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Be Still

Blue Collar records
2023

buy

Dancing Shadows

Mahakala Music
2022

buy

Cohesion

Cellar Records
2012

buy

I-5

From: Be Still
By Wayne Smith Jr.

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