“Standing strong in the field of “Jazz”… Adam Smale is one of the serious devotees… an exciting new voice on the scene …take notice!” – Pat Martino
Guitarist/composer Adam Smale tells stories with his music. His “pen” is a personally designed 7-string guitar, wielded with both virtuosity and creativity. His tales are woven from his rich imagination stoked by a wide variety of musical influences and his latest CD, Out of the Blue, fully attests to his compelling artistry.
Raised in a small working class community in Northern Ontario, Adam’s musical ever probing roots first began in Country and Bluegrass. Too small at the tender age of seven to handle the 5-string banjo, he took up the guitar and a lifelong bond grew and a personal commitment to the instrument cemented. By the age of 12, he was performing professionally with local groups and by 14, he was on his way to becoming a seasoned professional, performing in clubs, bars, community events, weddings and private parties, laying important groundwork for the budding guitarist.
During these formative years, Adam branched out to a variety of musical influences. But it wasn’t until his years at Humber College that he discovered jazz, and his path took a profound turn. “Jazz felt completely natural. I was always improvising, even when I was first playing in bands. Being somewhat naive, I thought everyone improvised all the time.” Rather than abandoning his origins—or his earlier influences like Chet Atkins, Albert Lee, Eddie Van Halen, Flatt & Scruggs—Adam began to forge a new direction for himself in the classic tradition of true jazz expression. Charlie Parker, Ed Bickert, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, and pianist Bill Evans, became important influences. More seeds were planted, cultivated, and a new world of possibilities was brought to light.
From Country to Pop Rock, from Jazz to World, Adam eventually performed all over the globe, including South America, India and the Middle East, as well as numerous cross-Canadian tours gaining even more experience. With Toronto as his home base, he performed consistently with his own trios and quartets and was a regular presence at the acclaimed Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival. Adam’s debut CD, Fun City was released in Canada in 2000 to extensive radio play and critical acclaim and was also featured at the prestigious Grand Prix du Jazz at the 2002 Montreal Jazz Festival.