Neal Smith - Live at Smalls (Live) (2025)

Drummer Neal Smith has a hell of a group here -- Eric Alexander on tenor, Steve Wilson on alto, Mark Whitfield on guitar, and Mulgrew Miller on piano -- a lineup that he more than lives up to with his tight leadership, and great choice of material for the date! The tunes include two numbers by Tom McIntosh -- a telling inclusion, given the way the album brings together the same strands of soul, swinging, and cerebral that McIntosh brought to his compositions in the early 60s. Smith's got a great way of bringing out the most sensitive aspects of the tunes, while still setting the players free to find their own voice -- thanks partly to the long takes on these live recordings -- and titles include "Fifty Six", "Stew Peas", "A Portrait Of You", "With Malice Towards None", "The Cup Bearers", and "Junior".

Steve Wilson, alto saxophone
Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone
Mulgrew Miller, piano
Mark Whitfield, guitar
Dezron Douglas, double bass
Neal Smith, drums