Quarantine Concert Series_#176: Mathuin Smith Quartet Encore
Mathuin Smith Quartet 2021
This is a recording of their live streaming performance from our stage on Jan. 3, 2021.
The Mathuin Smith Quartet is a 4-piece jazz ensemble based in the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia areas comprised of four talented area student musicians:
Mathuin Smith, saxophone
José André, pano
Ami Falk, bass
Tyler Pons, drums
Mathuin Smith is an 18-year-old oboist, saxophonist, and bandleader based in Fairfax, Virginia and Winchester, Virginia currently studying oboe performance at Shenandoah Conservatory. He began formal classical study of the oboe at age 10, and at age 14, he began to play the saxophone for marching band, and soon after began to explore the worlds of jazz, rock, fusion and beyond. A recent graduate of Chantilly High School, Mathuin was heavily involved in many facets of the music program at Chantilly, and was a representative at every district and state level honor event available to high school musicians in Northern Virginia. Currently, Mathuin plays oboe in various ensembles in Winchester, and leads the Mathuin Smith Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece big band in which he also plays saxophone.
José André is a jazz pianist and composer born in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He taught himself how to play piano from a very young age. His playful and inspired compositions bridge jazz, rock, blues, bossa nova, Latin American Folklore, and world music. He is a musician who flavors his tunes with Latin rhythms and jazz harmonies. Anyone who has the opportunity to hear him play is amazed by his speed and accuracy. Despite his very young age, he has already delighted audiences from prestigious festivals and concert halls across the Americas including Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and for three consecutive years was a member of the DC Honor Ensemble, an elite group of the finest young musicians in Washington, DC.
Ami Falk is an 18 year old bass player from Alexandria, Virginia. In high school, he played in the elite Blues Alley Youth Orchestra led by bassist Michael Bowie. He is currently a member of the Jazz Ensemble at the University of Virginia.
Tyler Pons is a 16 year old drummer based in Arlington, Virginia who has been playing drums for around 6 years. In addition to being involved in his local high school jazz program, he has been a member of the National Jazz Workshop Big Band and a founding member of the Red House Jazz quartet. His playing draws from many genres, as he enjoys what every music style has to offer.
Streaming cost is $7
Donations are welcomed.