Jazz album review: Tommy Smith/Brian Kellock
Hot on the heels of American Adventure (Spartacus Records) — one of the finest albums of recent years — Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith has again joined forces with his long-time collaborator, pianist Brian Kellock, for the release of a homage to the great players and composers of a bygone era.
Recorded last year, the title — also a double act — is apparently a common cliché in the Arctic Circle which describes how, on a cold icy night, the exhalation of one’s breath turns into sparkling crystal gems which float off into the dark night air. The album’s title also conjures up images of Smith and Kellock standing on the shoulders of giants of jazz, where Smith’s sax has that whispery old-style airy tone as they pay their respects Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Glenn Miller, et al.
