Brian Smith Jazz Quartet

The Grand Masters of Jazz in New Zealand.

Brian Smith, Saxophone, started to make his mark in Auckland in 1958 as an in-demand tenor saxophonist playing and backing local and international touring artists. After a stint on the Gold Coast, he moved to London in 64, where he performed at the famous Ronnie Scotts and worked and toured with the likes of Bing Crosby, Alexis Korner, T-Bone Walker, Georgie Fame, Alan Price, Jon Hendriks, Nat Adderley, John Dankworth to name a few.

In 1969 he started working in The Maynard Ferguson Band until 1975. Brian was a founding member of Ian Carr’s Nucleus which won the European Jazz Band Competition in Montreux, resulting in gigs at the Newport Jazz Festival, along with touring Italy, Germany, Holland and America. He also played sax for Nancy Wilson, Eartha Kitt, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Donovan, Dusty Springfield’s CD, Live at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Brian returned to NZ in 1982 and recorded three albums. One, The Brian Smith Quartet was Jazz Album of the year.