(Judson's Live, Orlando FL) Nate Smith, alongside collaborators Kiefer and CARRTOONS, delivered a series of performances at Judson’s Live in Orlando from May 2 to May 4, 2025. We were fortunate to attend the Friday night 9p show, and observed a very dynamic and immersive musical experience.
Central Florida was treated 6 solid 1-hour musical sets that spanned 3 back-to-back nights at Dr. Phillips' Judson's Live over the weekend. The sets entailed a very imaginative and freestyled jazz showcase. Featuring just 3 musicians only, the volume and sound were encompassing and full. Being purely instrumental with no vocals, each song brought its own flavor, and whilst still of the same genre as its preceding song, was able to sound immensely different. Nate Smith did very well in assembling this trio, as each musician was able to demonstrate pretty much within each song, individual solos of sorts: these existed in the forms of commanding bass lines from CARRTOONS, or wild chord progression from Kiefer, or some type of syncopated rhythmic beat from Smith.
It was wild to hear how dimensional the musicians were able to make the instruments sound together. There were moments where the keyboard and bass would play the exact same measure over and over, and Smith was able to inject different beats, with different time signatures across the progressive measures. It was very much a master class in demonstrating just how complex the jazz genre could be.
There were points at which pre-recorded audio was sampled into the live-music. The keyboard sound selection during these interjections sounded space-like, and it felt like we were in a different time era -- as though we went back in time to the 60's, yet the sound was futuristic and far-reaching as though we were outside of this earth. It was a very mind-expanding experience, really. I've heard many musicians and musical sets, but this trio was able to make me feel like my musical boundaries were being pushed to their limits, then beyond.
In one of the few times that Smith did actually address the audience, he praised his fellow musicians onstage, giving thanks to their musicianship and professionalism throughout their time together. He expressed how they had travelled to Japan earlier together this year, and how by each of their own rights were amazing producers themselves. Coincidentally, it was some 15 years prior, when Smith had put together some instrumental beats and shared them online, when one of the persons who ended up downloading those beats was CARRTOONS. With this example, Smith was able to encourage those in the room that if they had music to be shared, to go ahead and put it out there and share, as "you don't know who'll want to hear it." He further drove this point home, offering up an instance in which Tyler the Creator had discovered someone from the internet, who had the time had "like 6 views" when Tyler identified the audio as being 'hot', and a collaboration ensued.
It was a very exciting musical night. Without any singing, the sold-out Judson's room was fully engaged. In between each song, hands were clapped and I even saw fingers snapping as a new form of applause. A most enjoyable time, so hopefully with this trio's tour coming to a close, they'll be able to rejuvenate and hit the road together once more.
-- Bailey Guinigundo
Central Florida was treated 6 solid 1-hour musical sets that spanned 3 back-to-back nights at Dr. Phillips' Judson's Live over the weekend. The sets entailed a very imaginative and freestyled jazz showcase. Featuring just 3 musicians only, the volume and sound were encompassing and full. Being purely instrumental with no vocals, each song brought its own flavor, and whilst still of the same genre as its preceding song, was able to sound immensely different. Nate Smith did very well in assembling this trio, as each musician was able to demonstrate pretty much within each song, individual solos of sorts: these existed in the forms of commanding bass lines from CARRTOONS, or wild chord progression from Kiefer, or some type of syncopated rhythmic beat from Smith.
It was wild to hear how dimensional the musicians were able to make the instruments sound together. There were moments where the keyboard and bass would play the exact same measure over and over, and Smith was able to inject different beats, with different time signatures across the progressive measures. It was very much a master class in demonstrating just how complex the jazz genre could be.
There were points at which pre-recorded audio was sampled into the live-music. The keyboard sound selection during these interjections sounded space-like, and it felt like we were in a different time era -- as though we went back in time to the 60's, yet the sound was futuristic and far-reaching as though we were outside of this earth. It was a very mind-expanding experience, really. I've heard many musicians and musical sets, but this trio was able to make me feel like my musical boundaries were being pushed to their limits, then beyond.
In one of the few times that Smith did actually address the audience, he praised his fellow musicians onstage, giving thanks to their musicianship and professionalism throughout their time together. He expressed how they had travelled to Japan earlier together this year, and how by each of their own rights were amazing producers themselves. Coincidentally, it was some 15 years prior, when Smith had put together some instrumental beats and shared them online, when one of the persons who ended up downloading those beats was CARRTOONS. With this example, Smith was able to encourage those in the room that if they had music to be shared, to go ahead and put it out there and share, as "you don't know who'll want to hear it." He further drove this point home, offering up an instance in which Tyler the Creator had discovered someone from the internet, who had the time had "like 6 views" when Tyler identified the audio as being 'hot', and a collaboration ensued.
It was a very exciting musical night. Without any singing, the sold-out Judson's room was fully engaged. In between each song, hands were clapped and I even saw fingers snapping as a new form of applause. A most enjoyable time, so hopefully with this trio's tour coming to a close, they'll be able to rejuvenate and hit the road together once more.
-- Bailey Guinigundo
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