Jamie Alexander Smith

Jamie started playing classical piano at age 6. Such a rigid musical environment quickly frustrated him and he started experimenting with improvising and composing his own music. He played a concert of his own piano compositions in school aged 11, and found that challenging himself not to rely on someone else to write the music for him was exciting and satisfying.

Improvising is a key element of Jamie’s 'musical conception'. Knowing exactly what you’re going to play when you go on stage or hit the recording studio is, for him, uninticing. Nothing can compare with the exhilaration of making music up on the spot.

Over the years Jamie has played in a variety of ensembles, from rock bands and jazz and funk ensembles to brass bands and an orchestra or two. He also taught himself how to produce music on a computer, and explored the world of virtual synths.

His latest recording, Kinesis EP, features four free improvisations on piano, blending the straight-ahead and the contemporary.

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