Keep making music! This is a mantra we have been preaching for as long as I can remember. The art of writing songs gets better and better with practice and experience. When you can add in other artists to work with this learning curve speeds up even faster as you feed off of eachother. Our friend Scott Smith has been hard at work mastering his skills and bringing in other talented musicians to help flesh out his ideas.
The singer-songwriter from the Bay Area of California has been playing for a number of years but really only got serious about songwriting in the last 4 years. Scott Smith became a prolific songwriter pouring his heart and soul into every song he writes. Another great skill is his networking. Scott shared his ideas with talented musicians throughout the scene who could add something extra to his songs. His previous album The Sum Of Life showed off what could be down with the help of some good friends.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Scott Smith got right back on the horse and just released a new EP Down To Memphis. The 5 track record continues to show the wide range of directions he can explore. The opening title track “Down To Memphis” sets the tone with a storytelling song that puts the listener right there with the songwriter through his growth. For this record, legendary mandolinist Dave Grisman was brought in to add his flavor to the sound. The energy is contagious.
Some Jazz influence comes in on “Hourglass”. The elegant piano work here adds a layer of beauty to the song. The lyrics breathe of the Blues to make for quite an interesting mix of styles. The addition of organ on “Skeleton And Roses” brings another sound to the mix. The bouncy vocal delivery will get heads bopping along as they dive into the words. Scott Smith slows it up a little on “Top Of The World”. Jazz shows up again on the pretty piano of Giovanna Imbesi. The group vocal chorus adds an epic feel raising up the energy to a new height.
It seems Scott Smith will continue to keep churning out interesting songs. Keep an ear out HERE.
