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The Peter Smith Group is the result of a collaboration between Peter and guitarist Kevin Laliberté that began in 1992. It has grown into a collective which includes ten to fifteen artists in support of the ideals of the founders. These are Canadian musicians and composers from the Latin and jazz communities.
The
current recording of this ongoing effort is the CD:
'Blue & Green'
- Peter Smith Quartet. It was recorded live in the studio by the core
members of the collective, features several of their compositions and
is entirely Latin.
'Yule Like This' (2000) covers several styles and has a number of special guests while showcasing the main personnel or their compositions. Some of the material is seasonally oriented.
The band's first CD: 'Caliente & Cool' released in 1998, represents the diversity of the group and includes both jazz and Latin standards in various formats.
Beginning with duo performances in restaurants and coffee houses around Toronto; various instrumentations of the ensemble could be seen regularly in nightclubs and at special events in the Greater Toronto Area within a year or two. The group has played most of the jazz and Latin music festivals in southern Ontario, in some cases (Orillia, Toronto Beaches, Toronto Downtown) for several years running. It has also been featured on CITY TV and garnered an interview on the CBC evening news during a live performance at the Montreal Bistro in '97 and again at their first CD release in early '99. Recently, the band recorded a live broadcast on CJRT.
The Peter Smith Quartet is neither 'mainstream' nor 'Latin' jazz but a synthesis of elements which include acoustic instrumentation, south-American folk influences, non-jazz sensibilities and improvisation as conceived and performed by Canadians in a Canadian setting. It is a trio, quartet or larger ensemble in performance, but really represents a collective of musicians and composers under the direction and management of Peter Smith.
