By Will Layman, PopMatters Matthew Stevens is state-of-the-art jazz guitar in 2020, someone who is at home with a huge range of the best musicians of the moment—recently recording with Dave Douglas, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, and so many more. His approach and influences span the scene, reflecting the obvious (he may often remind … Read More
By Paul Rauch, All About Jazz The musical paths of saxophonist/composer Walter Smith III and guitarist/composer Matthew Stevens have crossed on many occasions over the years, touring and recording together in their respective bands and those of Esperanza Spalding, Ambrose Akinmusire, Terence Blanchard, Dave Douglas and Terri Lynne Carrington. Read the full review here. … Read More
By Tom Schnabel, KCRW Drummer Sasha Mashin hails from St. Petersburg. His new album, Happy Synapse, is a musical journey tracing his recovery from depression in Russia, where mental health issues are often stigmatized. I also like the sound of three new jazz albums from tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, drummer Jonathan Barber, and MATHIS Sound … Read More
By John Bungey, London Jazz News First, if you’re a lover of the noble art of album cover design, a word of warning. For the sleeve image (pictured left), the record company has simply taken the group shot from the first In Common album of 2018 and pasted the oversized heads of the new members … Read More
By Phil Freeman, SteroGum It’s easy to get comfortable with your idea of what jazz is, when it’s happening right in front of you. But when there are no gigs, you’re left with the recordings. And when you spend too much time rooting around in your record collection, you start to notice that there’s a … Read More
By Michael J. West, JazzTimes The cover of tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III and Matthew Stevens’ second co-led album is hilarious: It’s literally the same as the first In Common, but with pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Linda Oh, and drummer Nate Smith’s faces replacing those of Joel Ross, Harish Raghavan, and Marcus Gilmore. Is it … Read More
By Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine Saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matt Stevens are taking their successful 2018 project In Common to another round, this time surrounding themselves with three different players on In Common 2. It’s the same process with Smith III and Stevens writing the compositions and then seeking out like-minded musicians to … Read More
By Filipe Freitas, JazzTrail Saxophonist Walter Smith III reappears side by side with guitarist Matthew Stevens in the revived In Common group, two years after the release of its eponymous album. In Common 2 remains a quintet but features a reformed rhythm team with emerging pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer … Read More
By Ana M. Nelson, Black Grooves In Common 2 is the much-anticipated second release from tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens. After the noteworthy success of their first collaboration In Common, Smith and Stevens assembled another star-studded cast featuring pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Nate Smith to perform their original compositions. … Read More
