DANIEL SMITH
boogie woogie, blues, soul-jazz, rock'n'roll
> FROM THE UK AND USA
BLUES MATTERS UK "Veteran British keys merchant, Daniel Smith, would be a rich man if he'd received a quid for every time he has been compared to Jools Holland! He can tickle the ivories just as mellifluously as his more famous colleague... his new album also contains jazz pieces with earworm factor... this is fine stuff!"
BLUES in THE SOUTH UK "A fine, unassuming, but very entertaining album! In short, certainly worth checking out!"
BLUES & RHYTHM UK "Daniel Smith is the only man I've seen play bottleneck piano (with a beer bottle). He is quite simply one of the UK's finest... he just gets better."
THE STAGE UK 'Daniel Smith Bleeds For HIs Music!'
"Daniel Smith wowed the audience at Central Studio Arts Centre with a piano performance of such passion, intensity and physicality that he actually bled... ripping a mighty glissando and spilling blood on himself and the Steinway grand! Much to the audience's delight!"
THE STORY OF BOOGIE-WOOGIE: A LEFT HAND LIKE GOD (Peter J Sylvester)
"A pianist who is increasingly gaining recognition for his powerful and original piano work is Daniel Smith. He is seen by some as the next challenger to Jools Holland as the preeminent player in Britain. Standard boogie-woogie numbers (‘Swanee River Boogie’ etc) and blues are combined with his own compositions into an entertainingly presented repertoire underscored with a dry understated wit."
More Press
> FROM SPAIN
RADIO SER SP 'Boogie Woogie with a Choquero* Flavour!'
*the nickname for Onubenses/Huelvans stems from local delicacy, cuttlefish (or 'choquos' in Spanish!) Hence, 'Choquero'.
"Scottish pianist, Daniel Smith, based in Huelva for several months now, features this week on Vicente Ballester's 'Date with the Classics' radio programme."
https://cadenaser.com/emisora/2019/03/20/radio_huelva/1553088023_998495.html
BLUES IN BRITAIN MAGAZINE SPANISH INTERVIEW UK/SP 'The Boogie Woogie Scot-ero'
"...what completely stupefies is his impressive knowledge of, and ability to play, some of the greats of Spanish music ... and ability to improvise, seamlessly adding touches of flamenco scales on anything from ‘Happy Birthday’ to ‘Señor Blues’. See his Youtube ‘Fusion’ playlist! Plus there’s his polished ability to conduct interviews in Spanish, live, after just 18months in the country...!"
"Daniel exudes command of and passion for the boogie, blues, jazz and fusion he has performed for us live...[we] marvel at his almost 'physical fusion with his piano.’"
Full article by Vicente Ballester for Blues in Britain at bottom of page!
RADIO SER SP 'Pianist Daniel Smith & soprano Concepción Arrayá fill the airwaves with Swing!'
Listen to the interview and music (5m30secs) here https://play.cadenaser.com/audio/050RD010000000123854
LISTEN>
Both the 'Once' and 'Keys' albums received excellent reviews in the UK & USA.
> HOWEVER... HERE'RE THE MOST RECENT REVIEWS... FROM SPAIN.
LA HORA DEL BLUES : SEP 2018
Vicente P. Zúmel, Radio PICA , LA HORA DEL BLUES - Barcelona, España.
Vicente Zúmel International Recipient 2013 KBA / http://www.lahoradelblues.com
"Certainly Jools Holland is the referent piano player in blues, rhythm and blues and boogie woogie British scene, besides running his own reputed television show in one of the BBC channels.
However, we now have the chance to discover a new piano player who also comes from United Kingdom and now lives in the south of Spain.
He is Daniel Smith, a musician with a great future ahead of him, as can be easily realized if you listen to these two CD's, which are number eight and ten in his already extensive discography. The first one, "Once In A Blue Moon", has eleven songs where he is backed by his British band. Of the eleven CD tracks, six are Daniel’s own compositions and the rest versions of well-known piano players such as "Honky Tonk Train Blues" by from Meade "Lux" Lewis, "Can't Stand Your Evil Ways" by James Burke Oden, which became popular played by Otis Spann, "Ain't Nobody Business" by Porter Grainger, "Rock Me Baby" by Jo Josea in collaboration with B.B. King and “Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie” by Clarence "Pinetop" Smith.
Daniel easily and fluidly moves through the whole album, perfectly supported by his effective, incisive band.
In the second recording, "Keys To The Highway", Daniel is surrounded by a handful of good friends and musicians who, over the years, have played with him. He has invited two other piano players, Roger Cotton, who is behind the Hammond on three songs and Matt Empson on piano on two cuts.
This second disc assembles nine great songs, all his own compositions, that clearly show we are not only dealing with an able blues, boogie and rock'n' roll piano player, but also a magnificent song-writer, gifted with a fine musical sensibility.
I hope Daniel Smith develops a long fruitful musical career in Spain to provide all music lovers with superb moments of excellent music."
> AND FROM EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW MAGAZINE (Tim Wilcock)
"Another glorious hour of musical mayhem from the talented fingers of Daniel Smith, featuring boogie-woogie, hard bop, soul, blues, New Orleans Jazz and several other genre besides. Pure jazz gold. To a busy Jazz Bar... music fans consumed the delicious serving of exceptional piano in an hour of sublime music. The smooth-talking Smith, so dexterous that he seems to be playing well in excess of ten notes at any one time, wasted no time in getting us underway... for a this high-octane hour. Bursts of brilliant music, interspersed with some very entertaining, droll patter that provided the background to each piece, revealing Smith’s passion for all forms of jazz and jamming as well as a striking ability to tell a good story, often whilst tinkling away in the background."
"But it’s the music that’s the centre of this wonderful entertainment. We had a set that incorporated several of Smith’s own delightful compositions... to which he added numbers from Herbie Hancock, Professor Longhair, Pinetop Smith and several others. We even had time for a couple of rock and roll numbers – one from Tommy Tucker (Hi-Heel Sneakers) and Bill Haley and The Comets driving tune Shake, Rattle ‘N Roll."
"With accomplished jazz guitarist, Scott Hannah there’s clearly a trust and chemistry between these two musicians, with Hannah happy to follow Smith’s lead and having no difficulty in putting together a jamming bridge at about a second’s notice following a whisper from his colleague. Smith calling the key changes as they went through some of the numbers also added a delightful air of informality to proceedings, as well as reinforcing the fact that both he and Hannah are absolute masters of their craft. Really great music. Seek him out – you won’t be disappointed!"
Blues in Britain Magazine - FEATURE ON DANIEL - July 2019.
