It never gets old hearing about Saratogians who are crushing it in other parts of the world. Take Saratoga native Giacomo Smith, for instance, whose London-based jazz sextet, Kansas Smitty’s, just released their latest album, Things Happened Here, on June 26, to glowing reviews (i.e. London’s The Guardian, one of the city’s oldest and most highly respected newspapers, gave the album four out of five stars).
To celebrate the release of the album, Smith and company played a live show on Facebook, showcasing many of the album’s new tracks. (Watch the video below.) Thankfully, Smith co-owns a jazz club/bar in London’s Broadway Market neighborhood, also called Kansas Smitty’s, where the group performed their new tunes.
Smith, who graduated from Saratoga Springs High School, got his undergraduate music degree at Boston University and master’s at McGill in Montreal, and now lives in London, England. There, he makes a living as a jazz soloist and band leader, while
Smith has played at all manner of famous venues on both sides of the drink throughout his career, including London’s Royal Albert Hall and Manhattan’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. He’s even played the venerable Saratoga Jazz Festival.
