Pat Smythe (pianist)
Encyclopedia
Patrick Mungo Smythe was a jazz pianist who rose to prominence as a member of the Joe Harriott
Quintet during the 1960s.
, Scotland
, the son of an Edinburgh solicitor. He was educated at Winchester College
and went on to study law at Oxford University. The Second World War interrupted his studies, as he enlisted with the Royal Air Force
, serving for five years as a night-fighter pilot. After the war, he resumed his legal studies, this time at Edinburgh University where he also became recognised as a talented classical and jazz pianist. After graduating, he spent several years in his father's law firm, before leaving Edinburgh for London in the late 1950s in search of a professional career in music.
, in May 1960 he joined the quintet led by another Jamaican, alto saxophonist Joe Harriott
. Harriott was in the process of reshaping his band in order to begin playing his revolutionary brand of free jazz
, and recruited Smythe specifically for his willingness and ability to play this music, which was unheard of in Europe at the time. Smythe’s graceful, lyrical phrases were the perfect complement to Harriott's increasingly abstract playing, and also to the explosive trumpet and flügelhorn of Shake Keane
. Smythe, bassist Coleridge Goode
and drummers Phil Seamen
and (later) Bobby Orr
combined effortlessly to bring full realisation to Harriott’s conception of complete ensemble interaction at the expense of traditional roles of soloist and accompanist. Indeed, Smythe’s pivotal role highlighted one of the principal differences between Harriott and his American counterpart Ornette Coleman
, who viewed the harmonic qualities of the piano as incompatible with his own brand of free improvisation.
The Harriott quintet stayed together until 1965, recording three ground-breaking albums (Free Form, Abstract and Movement) while also holding a long-term residency at the Marquee Club
in Soho
. Smythe stayed with Harriott after the dissolution of the quintet, becoming a key member of the group Indo-Jazz Fusions, co-led by Harriott and the Indian composer and violinist John Mayer
. This double quintet of five Indian and five jazz musicians aimed to fuse Indian raga
structures with jazz improvisation, performing and recording extensively until Harriott’s departure ended the project in 1969. With his knowledge of Indian ragas, Smythe was considered by Mayer to be the bridge between the two camps.
, Paul Gonsalves
, Ben Webster
, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Zoot Sims
and Bob Brookmeyer
. He worked mainly as an accompanist in the London clubs throughout the 1970s, helping bring Scottish jazz vocalist Carol Kidd
to prominence. After a long illness, he died in 1983 in London
, England
. The Pat Smythe Memorial Trust was established two years later, as a registered charity to provide financial awards to young jazz musicians of outstanding talent. It was funded entirely from benefit concerts and gave awards to such musicians as Julian Arguelles
and Jason Rebello
. The trust is now defunct.
Joe Harriott
Joseph Arthurlin 'Joe' Harriott was a Jamaican jazz musician and composer, whose principal instrument was the alto saxophone....
Quintet during the 1960s.
Early life
Smythe was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the son of an Edinburgh solicitor. He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and went on to study law at Oxford University. The Second World War interrupted his studies, as he enlisted with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, serving for five years as a night-fighter pilot. After the war, he resumed his legal studies, this time at Edinburgh University where he also became recognised as a talented classical and jazz pianist. After graduating, he spent several years in his father's law firm, before leaving Edinburgh for London in the late 1950s in search of a professional career in music.
Joe Harriott
After working briefly with the Jamaican trumpeter Dizzy ReeceDizzy Reece
Alphonso Son "Dizzy" Reece is a hard bop jazz trumpeter with a distinctive sound and compositional style.Reece was born 5 January 1931 in Kingston, Jamaica, the son of a silent film pianist. He attended the Alpha Boys School , switching from baritone to trumpet at 14...
, in May 1960 he joined the quintet led by another Jamaican, alto saxophonist Joe Harriott
Joe Harriott
Joseph Arthurlin 'Joe' Harriott was a Jamaican jazz musician and composer, whose principal instrument was the alto saxophone....
. Harriott was in the process of reshaping his band in order to begin playing his revolutionary brand of free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
, and recruited Smythe specifically for his willingness and ability to play this music, which was unheard of in Europe at the time. Smythe’s graceful, lyrical phrases were the perfect complement to Harriott's increasingly abstract playing, and also to the explosive trumpet and flügelhorn of Shake Keane
Shake Keane
Ellsworth McGranahan “Shake” Keane was a jazz musician, poet and government minister...
. Smythe, bassist Coleridge Goode
Coleridge Goode
Coleridge George Emerson Goode is a former British Jamaican-born jazz bassist most noteworthy for his long collaboration with alto saxophonist Joe Harriott. Goode was a key figure in Harriott's innovatory jazz quintet throughout its eight year existence as a regular unit...
and drummers Phil Seamen
Phil Seamen
Phillip William "Phil" Seamen was an English jazz drummer.With a solid background in big band music, Seamen played and recorded in a wide range of musical contexts with virtually every key figure of 1950s and 1960s British jazz...
and (later) Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr (drummer)
Bobby Orr is a jazz drummer and session musician.In the 1950s and 1960s, he was a fixture on the London jazz scene, principally as a founder member of Joe Harriott's quintet...
combined effortlessly to bring full realisation to Harriott’s conception of complete ensemble interaction at the expense of traditional roles of soloist and accompanist. Indeed, Smythe’s pivotal role highlighted one of the principal differences between Harriott and his American counterpart Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
, who viewed the harmonic qualities of the piano as incompatible with his own brand of free improvisation.
The Harriott quintet stayed together until 1965, recording three ground-breaking albums (Free Form, Abstract and Movement) while also holding a long-term residency at the Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
. Smythe stayed with Harriott after the dissolution of the quintet, becoming a key member of the group Indo-Jazz Fusions, co-led by Harriott and the Indian composer and violinist John Mayer
John Mayer (composer)
John Mayer was an Indian composer known primarily for his fusions of jazz with Indian music...
. This double quintet of five Indian and five jazz musicians aimed to fuse Indian raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
structures with jazz improvisation, performing and recording extensively until Harriott’s departure ended the project in 1969. With his knowledge of Indian ragas, Smythe was considered by Mayer to be the bridge between the two camps.
Later Career and Legacy
In a diverse career he worked and recorded with many other great names in jazz when they passed through Britain, including Stan GetzStan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
, Paul Gonsalves
Paul Gonsalves
Paul Gonsalves, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist best known for his association with Duke Ellington. At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue"...
, Ben Webster
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
John Haley "Zoot" Sims was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano.-Biography:He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims. Growing up in a performing family, Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age...
and Bob Brookmeyer
Bob Brookmeyer
Robert Brookmeyer is an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer.-Biography:Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Gerry Mulligan's quartet from 1954 to 1957. He later worked with Jimmy Giuffre...
. He worked mainly as an accompanist in the London clubs throughout the 1970s, helping bring Scottish jazz vocalist Carol Kidd
Carol Kidd
Carol Kidd, MBE is a Scottish jazz singer.She came to prominence in the mid 1970s, as the vocalist in the band led by vibrophonist / saxophonist Jimmy Feighan. In 1990, she released her award-winning album, The Night We Called It a Day. She has subsequently performed and recorded extensively on...
to prominence. After a long illness, he died in 1983 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Pat Smythe Memorial Trust was established two years later, as a registered charity to provide financial awards to young jazz musicians of outstanding talent. It was funded entirely from benefit concerts and gave awards to such musicians as Julian Arguelles
Julian Argüelles
Julian Argüelles is a saxophonist. He is currently a member of the HR Big Band in Frankfurt am Main, Germany....
and Jason Rebello
Jason Rebello
Jason Rebello is a British jazz pianist, currently part of Sting's live and studio band, who has recorded a handful of albums under his own name. His debut album, A Clearer View was produced by Wayne Shorter....
. The trust is now defunct.