Walter Smith III
Saxophonist and composer Walter Smith III entered a new era of his band leading career with his remarkable 2023 Blue Note debut return to casual. Dedicated to collaborative work with some of the music’s most influential voices — including Ambrose Akinmusire, Terence Blanchard, Gerald Clayton, Eric Harland, Jason Moran, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Herbie Hancock, Maria Schneider, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Dee Dee Bridgewater — Smith has crafted a distinct style, personal vocabulary and compositional approach that serves the individuality of his fellow artists. For the past several years, he has been co-leading the acclaimed In Common project with guitarist Matt Stevens, exploring and refining different conceptual approaches to writing. In releasing return to casual, on which he also served as producer, Smith unveiled the many ways his creative expression has expanded, and the influence these collaborative environments have had on his vision as a leader. For 2024’s three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not, Smith paid homage to his hometown of Houston, Texas, with his fellow Houston natives Moran and Eric Harland plus bassist Reuben Rogers. For his 3rd Blue Note album in 2026, Smith reprised his acclaimed Twio concept with the long-awaited release of Twio, Vol. 2, a set of classic jazz songs that exudes a playful sense of joyful freedom featuring a core trio of Smith, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Kendrick Scott, along with a pair of bucket-list guests: bassist Ron Carter and saxophonist Branford Marsalis.

“'In Common' conveys the shape and feel of traditional jazz while remaining harmonically untethered and melodically free... The best of both worlds.” — DownBeat Magazine