Chad Smith: Jazz That Never Fades

Imagine one hundred years ago in America when tunes performed by Rudy Vallee, the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Gene Krupa, and Bix Biederbecke, to name a few, could be heard on mainstream free radio stations, in vaudeville shows and during silent pictures in theaters.  Serendipitously, saxophonist, composer and bandleader Chad Smith became enamored of the jazz music of the 1920's, and one hundred years later, he shows that the music of the Golden Age of Jazz remains relevant to modern audiences.

Smith's 2026 recording Saxophobia presents a new spin on the compositions of saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft,, S whose recordings through the Roaring '20s are noted for popularizing the saxophone.  The inspiration for the album's title is Wiedoeft's track "Saxophobia."

Smith admits, "The title of the album was difficult to choose.  I didn’t want it to be historical or boring in any way.  'Saxophobia' is one of the trademark pieces that Wiedoeft wrote and performed.  This piece became the largest selling saxophone solo in history.  It seemed fitting to use that name.  I knew it would be a little humorous too."

What led Smith to Wiedoeft's music reaches as far back as to when Smith was in 9th grade and a fellow musician gave him a cassette of Al Gallodoro's recording called For Your Listening Pleasure.

He chronicles, "I was first introduced to Rudy Wiedoeft’s compositions by a cassette tape of Al Gallodoro, a New York legendary virtuoso on the clarinet and saxophone.  He performed Rudy’s compositions on his recording entitled For Your Listening Pleasure."

He began, he initiates, "In 9th grade, I was playing in a local community band playing some solos like 'Harlem Nocturne' and 'Carnival of Venice.'  One of the clarinetists gave me this tape and said listen to this."  It was Al Gallodoro's For Your Listening Pleasure.

He vows, "I was blown away.  I had never heard anything like this on the saxophone.  The articulation and sound were impeccable not unlike a concert violinist.  It was so inspiring."

"Little did I know that I would study in college with Ted Hegvik, a pioneer of Rudy Wiedoeft’s music," he shares.  "He was the saxophone professor at West Chester University outside of Philadelphia; Ted and I became very close and he is the reason I fell in love with this music.  The saxophones I recorded Saxophobia on are Al’s and Ted’s instruments - a full circle moment."

He explains his intentions behind the recording, proclaiming, "I chose to revive Wiedoeft’s material in a different way than had been done before.  Ted recorded an album entitled The Legacy of Rudy Wiedoeft with piano and saxophone.  It is a wonderful recording!  After consulting with several arrangers, I wanted to have the pieces scored for an orchestra.  Some of the tracks are combo works and some are with my wife, Lynette Wardle on harp.  She is doing the impossible.  Lynette adapted some of the valses for harp and not piano."

The track "Danse Hongroise" illustrates the complementing pairing of Wardle's harp and Smith's saxophone.  He describes, "Lynette and I have performed 'Danse Hongroise' together as a duo.  Out of the pieces we performed, I imagined this piece being more of a spectacle by adding orchestra parts to the arrangement.   The harp is still very present in the piece.  Andrew Cottee did a fabulous job at merging the orchestra parts with the harp.  He also was well aware of the rubato and the push and pull of the piece in crafting a wonderful arrangement."

A special treat on the recording is vocalist Mikaela Bennett, whom he praises, "Mikaela Bennett was a fabulous asset to this project.  I met her through Lynette who worked with her many times on musicals in New York where she was in a featured role.  Her voice was velvety and smooth and easily fit in with the rubato and nuance of the period songs.  The charts she sang were arranged by Andrew Cottee, an arranger I met working with Seth MacFarlane in Los Angeles.  He crafts songs like the Berlin and Herbert beautifully.  The 2 songs are highlights on the album for sure."

Also joining Smith on the recording is pianist Dalton Ridenhour, whom he touts, "Dalton Ridenhour, my longtime pianist is special in his own right.  He really brings to life the accompaniment in a way that only he can.  My hope is that these compositions sound new to the listener again.  What better way to bring this music to life than with a full orchestra."

Enhancing the tracks is orchestra leader John Wilson and his ensemble Sinfonia of London.  Smith provides, "I’ve known about John Wilson for some time through his orchestral recreations of MGM musicals and other period projects.  We eventually worked together in Los Angeles on some recording sessions and he was able to extract the style needed for these pieces to the orchestra."

"Playing in this style of the 1920s is very unique," he discerns, "and a lot of contemporary players don’t have the knowledge or skill to make them sound authentic.  John is able to deliver that period sound, which was very important to me.  Having someone as passionate about the project as me meant volumes.  I was very lucky to have him and the wonderful Sinfonia of London.  Each player was so special."

He points out, "Jonathan Allen, the sound engineer should also be noted because he was able to capture the details of our unique sounds and performance on every take."

Saxophobia proves to be a collaborative endeavor with all involved contributing significantly to the project.  However, the recording is not Smith's first time immersed in the music of the Roaring '20s.   He regards, "I didn’t start becoming a bandleader until I created SAXOPHILM: Sounds and Sights of the Roaring 20s in 2009.  Before that my career was mainly performing as an ensemble member and not a soloist.  Even though I perform in ensembles on a daily basis, whether it’s in a concert or recording setting I find a lot of joy in expressing myself through solo literature, especially the 1920s style."

He recalls, "I was inspired to create Saxophilm in many ways.  The pairing of Wiedoeft’s music, something unknown, to familiar faces of the 1920s was important to me. There had to be a catch and draw.  Of course, these pieces could live alone in a concert recital, but I wanted to produce something on a larger scale."

"We premiered Saxophilm in 2009," he recounts, "at the World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.  At the time it was only orchestrated for saxophone, harp and piano with silent movies.  Now it has expanded into a fully orchestrated Pops production, which I’m very proud to be marketing. Every piece in Saxophobia is featured in Saxophilm:  Sounds and Sights of the Roaring 20s."

Perhaps Smith's obvious connection to Wiedoeft is that both are saxophonists, but both also show a deep understanding of the instrument's diversity and adaptability to move with the times.  He recollects, "l started on the saxophone at age 10 because I thought the instrument was really vibrant, shiny and fun to listen to.  At the time my father played the trumpet and that was a close second because I’d hear him play at home.  Unlike Wiedoeft, I began the clarinet 2 years after that, because I wanted to join the Dixieland combo at school.  My teacher also was a multi-instrumentalist and was very helpful with the transition.  I love that the saxophone can straddle between so many different styles of music - classical, jazz, pop, commercial, etc.  It’s really one of most diverse instruments."

His bond with the saxophone not only affects his playing but he additionally inspires younger generations to pick up the instrument by being an educator.  He reflects, "I want to see a vibrant path for music students in the future.  A huge part of my teaching is based on entrepreneurship, being versatile and finding your own personal voice."

He considers, "This is still a business, so that kind of training is something I’m passionate about along with mentoring highly skilled musicians in saxophone and woodwinds.  The music industry is not an easy one, so being a wonderful musician is one aspect.  Being a wonderful colleague is another important aspect often overlooked.  Both of them are equally important qualities on so many levels."

 
Beyond his music, Chad Smith notes, "In my spare time I enjoy spending time with Lynette on vacation, grilling and doing day trips around New York City.  I also find peace in nature, especially snorkeling in a remote island or hiking in southern Utah."

One hundred years after the jazz of the Roaring '20s became a prominent part of American culture, Chad Smith is presently a motivating force, pulling for the resurgence of the Golden Age of Jazz staples to resurface in American culture.  Jazz has a history being a part of cinema and theater.  One hundred years later, the art form remains a vital part of American culture, never retiring or fading and always familiar, lodged in the collective consciousness through the efforts of such torchbearers like Chad Smith.

 
 Visit:  www.chadsmithmusic.com