Walter Smith III

Texas-bred tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III is a daring improvisor with a bent toward swinging post-bop jazz and modern creative composition. Along with projects with Joshua Redman and Christian Scott, Smith has garnered attention for his own albums like 2006's Casually Introducing, 2014's Still Casual (with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and guitarist Matthew Stevens), and his 2018's chordless trio album, Twio. Smith and Stevens also have an ongoing collaboration featuring a revolving lineup showcased on 2018's In Common, 2020's In Common II, and 2022's In Common III. He made his Blue Note debut on 2023's Return to Casual and returned the following year with three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not, featuring a quartet with Jason Moran, Eric Harland, and Reuben Rogers. In 2026, he revived his chordless trio with Twio, Vol. 2, featuring guests Ron Carter and Branford Marsalis.