| Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 3, 2017 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:09 | |||
| Label | Ropeadope | |||
| Nate Smith chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere | ||||
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Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere is the second studio album by American musician Nate Smith, and his first as bandleader of the namesake band Kinfolk. It was released on February 3, 2017, on Ropeadope Records.
Nate Smith's first full album since his 2008 debut Workday, Waterbury Music, Vol. 1.0 and his first as bandleader, Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere was described by Smith as "certainly the biggest project I've ever done," involving the core band Kinfolk as well as a rotating cast of featured musicians. [1] Regarding the decision to release his debut album as bandleader at age 42, Smith said, "It was time to see what I could say if I really went all in and committed to making a record that sounded like all of my influences." [2]
Smith released the track "Pages" featuring singer Gretchen Parlato as an online single on January 6, 2017, which Smith described as "a melody that I wrote a long time ago — a song that evokes this idea of recalling memories, of sentimentality. That’s something that I wanted to explore on this album." [2]
Smith cited several inspirations for particular tracks on the album, including Earth, Wind & Fire for the track "Skip Step", Miles Davis's Tutu for the track "Bounce, Pts. I + II", and the killing of Trayvon Martin for the track "Disenchantment: The Weight". [3] The album also features themes of youth and family, including several snippets of interviews Smith conducted with his parents. [4]
In November 2017, Smith alongside Kinfolk performed three tracks from the album in a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music . [5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [6] |
| DownBeat | [7] |
| PopMatters | 8/10 [8] |
Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere was met with positive reviews. Tom Moon of NPR Music called the album "a study in nomadic jazz" that "emphasizes catchy, singable melodies and spring-loaded backbeats". [9] Giovanni Russonello of The New York Times wrote of the album's grooves: "all sorts of sounds participate in building the rhythm: taut but resonant bass notes, clipped guitar playing, zagging saxophone lines. The result is a sound that's tart, bittersweet and almost nostalgic." [10] Peter Margasak of Chicago Reader commended Smith's command as a bandleader, also writing that the album demonstrates "a sleek strain of R&B and funk that showcases his improvisational elasticity." [4]
In a 4-star review for DownBeat magazine, Chris Tart described the album as "generally upbeat, with an emphasis on heady hip-hop beats and soul-jazz melodies," also noting the album's ensemble of "renowned jazz musicians, like bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Chris Potter, as well as a rotating cast of solid vocalists." [7] Bobby Reed of DownBeat wrote that "The album mainly consists of Smith's original compositions, but his moody interpretation of avant-pop band Stereolab's 1999 song 'The Spiracles' illustrates his willingness to reach outside the jazz realm for inspiration," adding that "There’s only one drum solo on this album, a sign that Smith ... has become a generous leader who eschews flash in favor of substance." [11]
Will Layman of PopMatters described the album as "Glasper-esque... in the best way," noting its fusion of jazz and contemporary soul music, remarking, "It is one of those 'jazz' records that probably wouldn't have been possible until recently — a collection that has plenty of authentic, harmonically complex improvising but also uses soul grooves and vocals to forge a connection back to pop music." [8]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro: Wish You Were Here" | 0:29 |
| 2. | "Skip Step" | 3:04 |
| 3. | "Bounce, Pts. I + II" | 5:33 |
| 4. | "Mom: Postcards from Detroit/Floyd/Salem" | 0:45 |
| 5. | "Retold" | 4:54 |
| 6. | "Disenchantment: The Weight" (feat. Amma Whatt) | 5:42 |
| 7. | "Spinning Down" | 8:40 |
| 8. | "Pages" (feat. Gretchen Parlato) | 3:51 |
| 9. | "From Here: Interlude" | 2:34 |
| 10. | "Morning and Allison" (feat. Amma Whatt) | 5:06 |
| 11. | "Spiracles" | 5:26 |
| 12. | "Small Moves: Interlude" | 2:30 |
| 13. | "Dad: Postcards from Isaac Street" | 1:36 |
| 14. | "Home Free (for Peter Joe)" | 5:50 |
| Total length: | 56:09 | |
Kinfolk
Featured musicians
Strings
Taylor Eigsti is an American jazz pianist and composer. Eigsti's trio features bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Eric Harland. He is also a member of Eric Harland Voyager, Kendrick Scott Oracle, and Gretchen Parlato's group.
Lionel Loueke is a guitarist and vocalist born in Benin. He moved to Ivory Coast in 1990 to study at the National Institute of Art.
Gretchen Parlato is an American jazz singer. She has performed and recorded with musicians such as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Kenny Barron, Esperanza Spalding, Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller and Lionel Loueke.
Mark Guiliana is a Grammy-nominated American drummer, composer and leader of the band Beat Music. He has played with Avishai Cohen, Brad Mehldau, David Bowie, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gretchen Parlato, Jason Lindner, Lionel Loueke, Dhafer Youssef, Tigran Hamasyan, Matisyahu, St. Vincent, the European piano trio Phronesis and his own groups, Heernt and the Mark Giuliana Jazz Quartet.
Ambrose Akinmusire is an American avant-garde jazz composer and trumpeter.
Flow is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard, released on June 7, 2005 by Blue Note Records. The album was nominated for a "Best Jazz Instrumental Album" Grammy Award in 2005.
Sachal Vasandani, known professionally as Sachal, is an American jazz singer. Vasandani released Slow Motion Miracles on the Okeh label in 2015. He previously released three albums on Mack Avenue Records, Eyes Wide Open in 2007, We Move in 2009, and Hi-Fly in 2011. He is known for his unique interpretations of jazz standards and instrumental music, and is also a songwriter, composer and improvisor.
Tyshawn Sorey is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and professor of contemporary music.
Becca Stevens is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who draws upon elements of jazz, chamber pop, indie rock, and folk.
Kris Davis is a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
Darius Jones is an American saxophonist, composer, and professor of African-American music.
Matt Bauder is an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. He is the bandleader of the jazz trio Hearing Things, the jazz quintet Day in Pictures, and the modern doo-wop group White Blue Yellow & Clouds. He is a member of the long-form improvisation trio Memorize the Sky, jazz collective Ghost Train Orchestra, and was formerly a member of the touring lineups for Arcade Fire and Iron & Wine.
Ira Nathaniel Smith, generally referred to as Nate Smith, is an American drummer, songwriter, producer, and three-time Grammy nominee.
Hudson is a jazz album by drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Larry Grenadier, keyboardist John Medeski and guitarist John Scofield. The album was released on June 9, 2017 by Motéma.
The Source is an album by drummer Kendrick Scott which was released by the World Culture Music label on 2007.
Anna Kristin Webber is a Canadian saxophonist, flutist, and composer of avant-garde jazz based in Brooklyn. A Guggenheim Award-winning composer, Webber has released a number of critically-acclaimed albums as leader or co-leader, and received accolades for her work as saxophonist, flutist, and arranger.
Jon Irabagon is a Filipino-American saxophonist, composer, and founder of Irabbagast Records.
The general meaning of the term kinfolk is "relatives, family".
Relative Pitch Records is an American independent record label specializing in free jazz and avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, and experimental music. Run by Kevin Reilly, Relative Pitch has been ranked among the top jazz record labels in The New York City Jazz Record and DownBeat year-end lists, and praised by publications and organizations including The Guardian, NPR Music, The Brooklyn Rail, and in Bandcamp Daily's label profile, "Relative Pitch is Built on Enthusiasm for Experimental Music".
Michael Mayo is an American singer and composer. He has performed and toured with Kneebody, Jacob Collier, Christian Sands, Josh Groban, Nate Smith and Herbie Hancock. He released his debut studio album Bones in 2021, followed by his sophomore album Fly in 2024.