After recording electronically under the name Outerattik, Jamie Smith has released an EP of four solo piano improvisations, Kinetic. The album’s four improvisations range between three and a half and four and a half minutes, with Smith never losing the groove or the melodic intent. He has chops and there are plenty of ambitious runs in here, but the most impressive part of this album is how consistently musical, and musically interesting, the whole thing is. Smith claims Ethan Iverson, Esbjorn Svensson, Benny Green, Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett, and Neil Cowley as inspirations on the piano, and all of those musicians’ influence are present on this EP. Multiple listens to Kinesis have continued to yield rewards – this one is a keeper. Check it out after the jump and pick it up at Smith’s bandcamp site.
