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Portrait by Melvin Smith
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fave it Instrumental Gospel | Hard Bop
9 tracks | 49 minutes
Released
on Melvin Smith
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- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:28 Lord I Lift Your Name On High lyrics BUY MP3 05:28 Lord I Lift Your Name On High lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:28 Lord I Lift Your Name On High
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 06:56 Go Down Moses/Wade in the Water lyrics BUY MP3 06:56 Go Down Moses/Wade in the Water lyrics "GIFT MP3" 06:56 Go Down Moses/Wade in the Water
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:13 Manasseh lyrics FREE 04:13 Manasseh lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:13 Manasseh
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:15 Trylenera lyrics BUY MP3 02:15 Trylenera lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:15 Trylenera
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:47 Someday We'll All Be Free lyrics BUY MP3 02:47 Someday We'll All Be Free lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:47 Someday We'll All Be Free
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:38 1750 Washington St lyrics BUY MP3 04:38 1750 Washington St lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:38 1750 Washington St
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 10:54 God Bless The Child lyrics BUY MP3 10:54 God Bless The Child lyrics "GIFT MP3" 10:54 God Bless The Child
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:25 Trylenera (part 2) lyrics BUY MP3 04:25 Trylenera (part 2) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:25 Trylenera (part 2)
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 07:50 We Shall Overcome lyrics BUY MP3 07:50 We Shall Overcome lyrics "GIFT MP3" 07:50 We Shall Overcome
Melvin Smith brings to the table the organic fusion of jazz, latin, folk, and gospel standards. Along with his daring originals, Smith definantly satisfies the listener spirit, soul, and body.
Editorial review
Melvin Smith's jazz is steeped in many different influences. The tenor saxophonist is well accompanied by trumpeter/flugelhornist Lino C. Gomez, a pair of pianist (either Stephen Lee or Gregory Royals) along with two different drummers (Sam Knight or Ezra Henry). Smith draws from his church background, offering an upbeat calypso arrangement of "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" and a burning medley of the spirtuals 'Go Down Moses and "Wade in the Water." Smith's lyrical setting of Donny Hathaway's R&B ballad "Someday We'll All Be Free" and a thoughtful, spacious extended treatment of Billie Holiday's signature song "God Bless the Child" (with a reverent introduction by Royals) work very well. He switches to soprano sax for his piece "Manasseh," which features soulful interplay with Gomez. Finally, he transforms "We Shall Overcome" into a soft, yet strutting vehicle that retains its spiritual overtones. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Bio / Background
Melvin Smith, a Jacksonville, Florida native, began playing clarinet at the age of twelve. By the time he was thirteen Smith gravitated toward the tenor saxophone. Growing up in Florida, Melvin was exposed to many styles of music. Developing at a relatively fast rate, he started playing at various venues in Jacksonville. By his senior year of high school, Melvin decided on a career in music. In 1992 Smith was accepted and given a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Moving to Boston was an eye opening experience for Melvin. Playing with so many good musicians was a great motivator for Smith to develop even further. While in Boston, he had the pleasure of studying with Andy McGhee, Billy Pierce, George Garzone, and Walter Beasley to name a few. He was awarded the Lennie Johnson Award while at Berklee. In 1996 after completing his Bachelor’s degree, Melvin decided to move to New York and enrolled in Queens College for further study.
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