PATCHWORK

I had the chance to watch Nate Smith and his band live at the A to Jazz Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, last weekend, and man... it was amazing. It genuinely felt like there were heavenly rays shining around him on stage. Beyond his incredible groove and unmistakable touch on the drums, I was impressed by the balance between his explosive energy and his genuine humility. I have to admit I wasn't too familiar with his music beforehand, but I walked away a true fan. So you can imagine how happy I was to find out that he'd just released a new album.

The core trio of the collective FATHERS came together in 2023 when drummer Nate Smith recruited bassist CARRTOONS & keyboardist Kiefer for his residency at the Montreal Jazz Festival, followed by tours of the US & Japan. A chance opportunity to test out producer Kenneth Blume’s (Kenny Beats) new studio resulted in the album FATHERS being recorded spontaneously in just 48 hours, out today via Blue Note Records.

I loved the sunny grooves, melodies and joyful vocal samples on "PATCHWORK", beatifully capturing the trio's effortless chemistry, exceptional musicianship, and the same infectiously positive and groovy energy I experienced at the festival.

The powerhouse group have also released a video featuring stripped-back live performances from the album interwoven with short interview segments in a stylish vintage setting and production. Put it on after dinner while you're chilling on the sofa, and spend half an hour immersed in their world.

"I'm always driven by feeling. Every time I play, I'm trying to think about how the music, how the sound is working toward achieving something bigger than music, something that's going to last longer than music. The quest is always for expression and finding a way to play something that transcends music," shares Nate Smith.