Sandy Brown Jazz

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Jazz As Art

Kansas Smitty's House Band
Barbecue Blues

When you listen to music, you sometimes conjure images in your mind. Our Jazz As Art series invites you to listen to a piece of jazz and as it plays, scroll down the page and see which of the pieces of art I have chosen comes closest to the pictures in your mind. Hopefully, this will introduce you to recordings and art works you might not have spent time with before.

Kansas Sitty's House Band

Kansas Smitty’s is a bar / venue in Broadway Market, London E8 open Tuesdays to Sundays, 7.00 pm to Midnight. In 2015, Kansas Smitty’s Band led by reeds man Giacomo Smith and trumpeter Pete Horsfall realised they needed a home for their music, and found a basement in Hackney. Now an intimate basement bar it is a rehearsal space for the band as well as a live music venue and cocktail bar. Since 2015, the band has increasingly been making a name for itself.

Musician and presenter Cerys Matthews has said: ‘They dance to a beat of their own drum. Totally unpredictable’, and one review of the venue says: ‘Kansas Smitty’s combines some of the best jazz musicians from around the world with a menu of original juleps to create unforgettable and unique nights. The relaxed and intimate atmosphere of this 60 person capacity basement comes alive when members of the Kansas Smitty’s House Band take the stage alongside special guests.

The Evening Standard said: 'Forget what you think you know about jazz, trumpeter Pete Horsfall and clarinet player Giacomo Smith lead their band with a rattling, crackling energy that had the young crowd howling and stomping their feet with sheer joy'.

Click here for more about Kansas Smitty's House Band. Click here for the Kansas Smitty's website.

Here they play Barbecue Blues and you can hear what the reviewers are talking about. I have chosen 12 paintings to go with the tune - play the track and scroll down to see the paintings ........ (I think this only works if you spend time with each painting).