From an early age, Walter Smith III began taking music very seriously. “My first gig was playing at a McDonalds in Houston with another saxophone player. I took a solo on “Blue Bossa.” It was terrible. People clapped, and I figured if I could get away with that and get applause, how could I fail?”

Although it may appear Smith is a new voice on the scene, he is widely recognized as an adept performer, accomplished composer, and inspired educator. Smith’s recent release, In Common III, has been described as “boundary pushing”, and features some of the most important and talked about musicians in the world – Matt Stevens, Kris Davis, Dave Holland and Terri Lyne Carrington. In April of 2023, Smith released his debut album for Blue Note records,“return to casual”, to critical acclaim.

Smith has developed under the wings of many of the music’s greats. Walter is/has been a member of several legendary groups (recording and/or touring) including the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band, Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harland’s “Voyager”, Bill Stewart Trio, Jason Moran’s In My Mind:Monk at Town Hall, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, the Christian McBride “Situation”, Marquis Hill “New Gospel Revisited”, Gerald Clayton Quintet, Christian Scott group and the Sean Jones Quintet to name a few.

Smith has performed all over the world participating in virtually every international festival as well as famed venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, and the Kennedy Center. In addition, he has shared the stage and/or appeared on recordings with many important artists including Mulgrew Miller, Billy Childs, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Maria Schneider, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ralph Peterson, and a host of others. To date, Walter has appeared on over 100 recordings that are released worldwide.

Originally from Houston, TX, Smith now resides in Boston, MA and is Chair of Woodwinds at Berklee College of Music helping to prepare the next generation of young artists.

Walter Smith III - saxophone
James Francies, piano
Matt Brewer, bass
Kendrick Scott, drums

LUCÍA is a 23-year-old vocalist from Veracruz, México whose singular artistic vision bridges the gaps between Jazz, Latin, and Pop music.

Lucía Gutierrez Rebolloso started her musical career at the age of two, singing and dancing in her parent’s son jarocho band, “Son de Madera.” She began studying voice at the age of 13 at Universidad Veracruzana, and in 2022 received a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from this same university.

In 2022, she became the first artist from Mexico to enter the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which she won.

Lucía has already collaborated with several world-renown artists and musicians, including Natalia Lafourcade, Aloe Blacc, La Santa Cecilia, Quetzal, Son de Madera, Alex Mercado, and the National Jazz Orchestra of Mexico (ONJMX in Spanish). She has performed on stages around world: lCarnegie Hall, Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Royce Hall at UCLA, the ASU Gammage in Arizona, El Cantoral, the National Center for the Arts, and the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris in Mexico City. She has also performed in renowned festivals like the Folk Festival in Vancouver and the International Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Most recently, Lucía has just completed recording her first full album, which will be released in early 2025. Produced by Grammy-winner Matt Pierson, it presents Lucía’s interpretations of jazz standards (“What a Difference a Day Makes,” “You Must Believe in Spring,” etc.) classic Spanish songs (including “Silencio,” “La Llorona,” “Como Fue”) and current pop songs (by Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo), featuring an extraordinary group of musicians including Edward Simon, David Sanchez, Larry Grenadier, and Antonio Sánchez.

Walter Smith III Website

Walter Smith III Photo Credit: Travis Bailey
Lucía Photo Credit: Cuervo Studio