Alex Smith is a jazz saxophone player and composer in the Greensboro, NC area. Although not coming from a musical family, his parents had him taking classical piano lessons from the age of three. By the time he picked up the saxophone at nine, he had already been immersed in different styles of music through his studies. This benefited him greatly as he got older, eventually choosing to pursue jazz studies in college at the Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He graduated magna cum laude in 2014.
Through the University, Alex was able to meet many great jazz musicians. As part of the all-encompassing curriculum of the jazz program, Alex was given the opportunity to adapt original compositions by greats such as Rodney Whitaker, Patrick Cornelius, Peter Bernstein, Donny McCaslin, and Brandon Lee to a big band setting and to have these works performed with the composers themselves.
There are many ideas floating around in the jazz community concerning the state of the music in the modern world, and yet so few musicians look outside their own tight-knit circles to find out what people actually want to hear. Alex strives to capture in his music the same seriousness and dedication that spawned this great music originally, while also recognizing that it is and always has been an accessible and enjoyable form of entertainment to audiences everywhere.
Alex currently lives in Greensboro and performs all over North Carolina. He is the leader of the Alex Smith Quartet, whose first album, State of Decay, was released online in July 2013.
Through the University, Alex was able to meet many great jazz musicians. As part of the all-encompassing curriculum of the jazz program, Alex was given the opportunity to adapt original compositions by greats such as Rodney Whitaker, Patrick Cornelius, Peter Bernstein, Donny McCaslin, and Brandon Lee to a big band setting and to have these works performed with the composers themselves.
There are many ideas floating around in the jazz community concerning the state of the music in the modern world, and yet so few musicians look outside their own tight-knit circles to find out what people actually want to hear. Alex strives to capture in his music the same seriousness and dedication that spawned this great music originally, while also recognizing that it is and always has been an accessible and enjoyable form of entertainment to audiences everywhere.
Alex currently lives in Greensboro and performs all over North Carolina. He is the leader of the Alex Smith Quartet, whose first album, State of Decay, was released online in July 2013.