PERSONNEL

Ashton Smith - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Compositions
James Romaine - Alto Saxophone
Michael Anning - Tenor Saxophone
David Sear - Trombone
Francis Tulip - Guitar
Will Markham - Piano
James Owston - Bass
Nathan Jones - Drums


ABOUT THE ALBUM

Further Afield is an original five-piece suite of music composed by UK born and based trumpeter Ashton Smith, inspired by fond memories of his time spent in various places on the continent and overseas. The suite draws inspiration on a love for travelling, sight-seeing, and experiencing new cultures, with influences in jazz, folk, and contemporary large ensemble music. Although representative of many different locations, there remains a common theme to the suite: natural beauty. In times of uncertainty and unrest, this music aims to celebrate the magnificence and wonder of the world we live in, through the creative and unique voices of the musicians in the Ashton Smith Octet.

"Powerful, complex scores that reveal the depths of his harmonic knowledge whilst leaving plenty space for the soloists to emerge from the ensemble with all guns blazing."
- Lance Liddle, bebop spoken here, Feb. 2021

See individual track info for more about the music...


ASHTON'S WORDS

"I feel lucky to know and have played with the exceptional musicians who agreed to be a part of this project, and I'm so grateful to everyone involved who helped me produce everything before, during, and after the gig. I'm also very thankful to all those who came out to hear this music played live, making the entire project and event so worthwhile and memorable.

A big thank you to anyone and everyone who chooses to support this album in whatever way they can - your generosity is hugely appreciated.

Happy listening!"