OUTSIDE INSIDE Harrison Smith Quartet Smith ten sop saxes, bass clarinet, Liam Noble piano, Jeremy Brown double bass, Winston Clifford drums. Recorded at Eccentric Diversions Studio, London. 3, 4 March 1998. SLAMCD 231 Bar Code 5 028386 023128

TRACKS: 1     Outside inside                     9m 36s 2     With respect                       6   01 3     Adventures with D.P.           12   19 4/5  Cliffhanger/For U                 15   26 6     All sixes and sevens            10   12 7     On the tiles                         8   53 8     Sweetie                             5   14

Glenn Astarita AAJ-NY 1 October 2001

The U.K. based, "Harrison Smith Quartet" provides substantial correlation to the title of its new CD, as they most effectively delve into the outside and inside of modern jazz with this set consisting of exceptionally strong material. Multi-reedman, Harrison Smith leads his band through a series of intricately devised movements, spanning lushly organized voicings, budding undercurrents and vivid dreamscapes on the opener, "Outside Inside." However, the musicians’ periodically kick the proceedings into high gear via melodically tinged themes and the lead soloists’ harmoniously constructed unison lines and heated exchanges. Needless to state, this outfit performs with the utmost conviction as they seamlessly blend sonorous arrangements with dashingly executed fireworks.

The quartet ventures into free-jazz territory during "Cliffhanger/"For U," whereas they pursue a Latin vibe amid Smith’s radiant tenor sax work and pianist Liam Noble’s lyrically charged soloing on the piece titled, "On The Tiles." Hence, Outside Inside constitutes a welcome if somewhat unexpected surprise, as the band is quite well known in Europe yet largely under recognized here on these American shores. Highly recommended.

Jazzwise Once again the SLAM label spotlights a significant British-based instrumentalist who's not exactly been inundated with recording opportunists, either in his own right or with others.  Smith's work on tenor sax, soprano sax and bass clarinet is sufficiently commanding to hold attention throughout this programme, and almost more impressive is the variety of his exclusively original material.  Winston Clifford and bassist Jeremy Brown, though often unobtrusive, play a significant part in this, as does pianist Liam Noble - nowhere more so than in the closing duo, 'Sweetie'. BP

The Guardian Unassumingly thoughtful and subtle straight-ahead quartet session by a largely overlooked London reed player who can play with an absorbingly ruminative delicacy, or an old-fashioned muscular drive, and who appears with an excellent band including Liam Noble on piano and Winston Clifford on drums. The set draws on a wide range of the jazz materials that emerged in the sixties and seventies, not only the obvious references of a Blue Note-ish small-band feel, but also echoes of the early John Surman Trio in the suspended time passages and brooding drama. The title track has a quietly padding, sidelong quality to it, with Smith often suggesting Surman's bass clarinet, and when he opens out on uptempo tenor sax charges. Smith often recalls the rugged pre-Coltrane energies of players like Dexter Gordon and Joe Farrell, and adds some engaging vocalised slurs and smears of his own. Not one to turn the jazz world upside down, and not easy to see how it can compete amid the hundreds of straight-jazz albums the flood the racks either, but honest, expert and likeable. John Fordham

Vittorio Lo Conte I musicisti inglesi più conosciuti sono quelli che, a partire dalla fine degli anni sessanta, si sono dedicati all`avanguardia o al jazz-rock, gente come Dave Holland, Evan Parker, John McLaughlin tanto per fare qualche esempio. Eppure ci sono stati anche dei musicisti che, quasi sconosciuti al di fuori dei confini nazionali, hanno dedicato la propria carriera al mainstream producendo in maniera costante musica di alto livello, basti pensare a personaggi come il pianista Stan Tracey, il tenorista Tubby Hayes o il contrabassista Peter Ind. Harrison Smith prosegue questa tradizione rinnovandola e con il suo quartetto costituisce una delle realtà più interessanti della scena musicale europea. Il CD apre con un brano che mostra la perizia del leader al clarinetto basso, pieno di tensioni "notturne" e capace di catturare subito l`attenzioone dell`ascoltatore. Questo non è il disco di un solista meramente accompagnato da una sezionie ritmica; ci troviamo al cospetto, infatti, di un gruppo compatto capace di rendere al meglio le idee compositive del leader. "With Respect", il secondo brano, mostra Harrison Smith al sax tenore. La sua voce è autorevole e sicura, originale abbastanza da farlo riconoscere in mezzo ai tanti colleghi. Anche al sax soprano, con un voce in questo caso di derivazione coltraniana, Smith riesce a trarre degli accenti personali. Nelle ballads, come nello splendido brano finale "Sweetie", in duo con il pianista Liam Noble, Smith riesce a trasmettere emozioni in grado di far venire la pelle d`oca. Nelle composizioni tecnicamente più impegnative l'intero quartetto funziona alla perfezione; le loro interpretazioni sono tutt'altro che un esercizio di stile. Si tratta di musica che convince per l`originalità della proposta e del suono di un quartetto riconoscibile dopo un paio di battute. Mainstream inglese di ottima fattura e con il necessario tocco di personalità. Valutazione: * * * * *