Welcome to The W.E.S. Group page. Please visit our website as well
www.thewesgroup.com.
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The music we play is steeped in the jazz
tradition and is heavily influenced
by many other musical forms such as world music,
neo-soul, and hip hop.
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We have three albums to date and our most recent
release is a jazz arrangement
of the church mass. If you would like to purchase our CDs via PAYPAL please visit the
website
www.thewesgroup.com.
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We hope you enjoy our music.
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Echoes of ancestral and native sounds
can be heard in this collective of talented musicians, whose folk jazz and
acoustic approach create a distinctive sound of peace and beauty. Exceptional musicians in their own right,
the collaboration of these seasoned musicians exhibits the passion and spirit
of a “great camp meeting in the promised land” of jazz.
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W. E. S. (William
E. Smith, Ph.D.) – Through studying, composing, teaching
and living music, saxophonist/composer W.E.S. has sought to enrich the lives of
others through sound. His family roots
go deep into the history of jazz and the African-American experience. W.E.S.’s grandfather and great-uncle, owned
a music publishing company in the 1920s and published music that was performed by
the great King Oliver as well as Noble Sissle.
Many musicians used to come by the family home on the south side of
Chicago including Art Tatum. W.E.S.’s
cousin Warren Smith Jr. played percussion with the Miles Davis, Gil Evans
orchestra and many other notable performers.
In the spirit of this legacy, W.E.S. himself has performed nationally
and internationally with his group and with jazz greats such as James Moody,
Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Wynton Marsalis, and Jon Hendricks.
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After leading a quartet under his own name (The Will
Smith Quartet) for several years, W.E.S. decided to form a group with a
different focus. He wanted the group to
transcend the traditional classification of jazz from strictly art music, to
music that has a world flavor and is not only enjoyed but inspires the best in
people.
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W.E.S. is currently an Assistant Professor and the Jazz Ensemble Director
at American University and gives lectures on jazz and hip hop at the University
of Maryland, University of Delaware, and Howard University.
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"Smith's passion
is evident from-the-jump. He has a kind
of take no prisoners approach that is full of youthful fire…"
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..[endif]>Willard Jenkins, JazzTimes Magazine
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..[if !supportLists]>-
..[endif]>Mike Joyce, Washington Post
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"Smith freely channels the spirits of Charlie
Parker, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and other
masters with minimal derivativeness, but comes up with his own muscular
style."
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..[endif]>Eric Brace, Washington Post
