The Band

Jumaane Smith plays lead trumpet in the Bublé band. His stunning trumpet solo in "Moondance" at the live concerts is just a small testament to the talents of this highly sought after musician. Jumaane is a versatile performer, composer and arranger, whose credits range from jazz to classical.

Born on 26th May, 1981 in Seattle, Washington, Jumaane was part of a local musical group in his formative years. The group was called "The Flood" and featured three vocalists and a seven-piece band. Jumaane's musical diversity was apparent at an early age as The Flood's music reflected its influences of funk, jazz, reggae, roots rock, spiritual and progressive hip-hop.

Whilst still at Roosevelt High School, Seattle, Jumaane won an outstanding soloist trumpet award at the 4th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival held at the Lincoln Center, New York City. In 2000, Jumaane moved to New York on a scholarship where he attended the New School University and the inaugural class of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School of Music, studying with the legendary Wynton Marsalis and Rashied Ali. 

Selected to play lead trumpet for the inaugural Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, Jumaane has also performed as part of The Juilliard Jazz Quintet, and at a number of festivals including The Montreux Jazz Festival, The North Sea Jazz Festival and The Montreal Jazz Festival.

In 2003, Jumaane founded his own band, Groovology. Originally an octet the band now has 12 conservatory-trained musicians from a variety of musical backgrounds which is reflected in the diverse range of music played by Groovology, from dance music to world music.

Jumaane's career highlights to date include perfoming with artistes such as Rashied Ali, Ravi Coltrane, Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Percy Heath, Herb Jeffries, Wynton Marsalis, Loren Schoenberg, Bobby Short, Clark Terry and Reggie Workman. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Jumaane backed Stevie Wonder on "Superstition".



Michael Bublé Recordings featuring Jumaane Smith 


CD + DVDs

* dates in brackets are UK release dates

Caught In The Act    Michael Bublé ~ Caught In The Act (2006)*

 

CDs

Let It Snow!    Michael Bublé ~ Let It Snow! (EP) (2007)

            


Other Recordings featuring Jumaane Smith


CDs

Alicia Keys ~ As I Am   Alicia Keys ~ As I Am

 

Rashied Ali Quintet ~ Judgment Day Vol.1   Rashied Ali Quintet ~ Judgment Day Vol.1

 

Rashied Ali Quintet ~ Judgment Day Vol. 2   Rashied Ali Quintet ~ Judgment Day Vol. 2

 

The Flood - First CD   The Flood  ~ Untitled (First CD)



LPs

The Flood - First CD   The Flood  ~ The Reason I Speak  

Articles featuring Jumaane Smith

 

Video clips featuring Jumaane Smith

Click on the picture of Jumaane on the right of the screen to start playing the video.


 


Official Website & MySpace URL:



Exclusive Interview for www.bubléband.com

Jumaane Smith kindly allowed me to interview him in London, England whilst on a whistlestop tour of Europe with the revered drummer, Rashied Ali, and The Rashied Ali Quintet - thank you, Jumaane!


Pizza On The Park, London, England - Sunday, 20th August, 2006

What is your date and place of birth?
My date of birth is 26th May, 1981. My place of birth is Seattle, Washington.

And where did you grow up?
I grew up in Seattle - I lived there until I was 18. Then I moved to New York.

That’s where you currently call “Home”? New York?
Yeah.

When did you start learning to play the trumpet?
I started learning to play the trumpet when I was 10 years’ old. At first I was really, really a bad trumpet player. It’s hard to play the trumpet - the first couple of years especially the sound is just so horrible. My parents they really didn’t enjoy listening to me practice so they made me go outside … to annoy the neighbours.

Do you play any other instruments and if so to what standard?
I play a couple of other instruments but not nearly as much as I play the trumpet. I mean at some point in my life I would like to be able to play them as well. The instruments are drums, bass and piano.

What inspired you to become a professional musician? Was there a defining moment in your life which inspired you to choose that career?
Well, actually there kind of was. When I was 13 years’ old I got into the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band. In Seattle, that’s one of the top jazz bands. Actually - not even in Seattle but across the country it’s known as one of the top jazz bands. There’s always three or four jazz bands out of 15 from Seattle in the big competitions. So I got into the jazz band and that was like a real cool thing. I was really happy about that and I’d been practicing.

In the summer after that year, when I was 14 we did a European tour and we went to the North Sea Jazz Festival. I got to see all these great artists like Oscar Peterson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ray Brown and Roy Hargrove - who else did I see? … So many people. I mean it just really changed things for me - I was so inspired … the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Band. It just really inspired me to try to be a musician.

I saw that everybody was touring, travelling all over the world - that was something that I always wanted to do and dreamed of doing. It was amazing. That’s one of the big reasons why I’m playing music now.

What is your academic training and professional background?
My academic training - well I told you I went to Roosevelt for High School. I went to The New School university in New York, which is known for it’s jazz program. It’s one of the top three jazz programs probably in the country, led by Reggie Workman. Reggie Workman was in Art Blakey’s band and John Coltrane’s band - many, many people’s bands. He’s a legend; kind of a guru of education. So I went there for a year-and-a-half. Then Juilliard was starting a new jazz program and so I got a call on the phone from one of the people who teaches there asking me to come join the school because they needed somebody who could play lead trumpet in the band.

Was this the same year that Frank [Basile] was approached?
Yeah. We were all in the first class. So they asked me to come and do the program so I did it and I went there for three and two-third years. And then I left to join Bublé’s band.

What was it like studying at Juilliard under such great names such as Wynton Marsalis?
It was great! I learned a lot from Wynton and I learned a lot from Mark Gould, who was one of Wynton’s students when he was at Juilliard. Also I learned a lot from all the classical division and all the faculty members on the jazz program. There’s a lot of great information. Not only that but it’s one of the most concentrated places of people who are artistically inspired and who are trying to hone their craft artiscally so it’s really a positive learning environment. I would probably compare it to an Ivy League school. I mean essentially it’s an Ivy League school of music and the arts.

Who would you say has been your greatest influence or inspriation?
Well I have many influences and inspirations so it’s really hard to put it down. The people who I’m most influenced by have changed the world during the time that they were present on the Earth. I mean I’m inspired by Martin Luther King, by Gandhi … many, many people … I’m inspired by Miles Davis; I’m inspired by John Coltrane; I’m inspired by Rashied Ali. I’m inspired by many people and that’s not even the tip of the iceberg. That’s such a hard question for me to answer …

If you could play with any band or artist, who would that be and why? Or have you already done that in your career?
I really love playing with this band [The Rashied Ali Quintet].

Is it difficult touring and doing things with your own group, “Groovology”?
Yeah. It’s really hard to do other things when I’m doing the Bublé gig. I really enjoy that band. You know it’s fun. It reminds me of this band [The Rashied Ali Quintet]. I do want to do stuff with my own band. There’s a couple of jazz artists that I would love to play with at some point but mainly I would just like to continue doing what I’m doing and maybe go more into composition and other artistic advances I guess.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would that be and why?
Any venue in the world? Hmm … I would love to play Giants Stadium in front of 70,000 people with my band.

70,000 people with Groovology?
Yeah! (Laughs).

What’s your favourite place to visit on tour and is there anywhere you’d like to visit where the tour hasn’t reached yet?
Definitely there are places I’d like to visit that the tour hasn’t reached. First of all would be Africa. My father’s Nigerian and I’ve never been. I’m probably going to take a trip there myself but I would love to go with the [Bublé] band. I guess they’ve been to South Africa once before I joined the band but hopefully we’ll get the chance to go over there sometime. Also it would be great if we could go to Japan or China - maybe even Russia.

When did you join Michael’s band and how did that come about? Did you have to go through an audition process?
I joined his band basically in March 2005.

Did you join during the [David] Letterman gig or after that?
Yeah - just right around that time. That was just before me. That was like the day before me. I started on the AOL Sessions. I got the call a couple of days before that so that was my first opportunity to see the music. I came in and we did the recording session, video session. I had to sight-read everything. That was like my audition.

So who was it who approached you to join the band?
Well, I went to school with Craig [Polasko] so he recommended me. He’d been in the band for a while.

Apart from Craig [Polasko] and Frank [Basile] from Juilliard, did you know any of the other guys in the band before you joined?
Yeah. I knew Rob Perkins. We have some close family friends and so I had known him for about six years. So I knew him, I knew Mark Small - we’d done some playing together and a lot of hanging out just around New York. Let’s see, who else? … I guess that’s it.

Have you written any of the arrangements or adapted any of the compositions for the concert setlist?
For Bublé? Not as yet, but I would like to. Been working on some stuff but still messing around with it.

For you on trumpet which is technically the most difficult song of Michael’s to play?
A lot of them … for many different reasons. Well mainly the range. “Feeling Good” - the first note of the night for me is a double C which is way super high. “Save The Last Dance” is pretty challenging. There are a lot of range challenges in there.

How do you manage to keep your performances fresh, playing the same songs over and over, night after night? It must be quite difficult?
It is challenging but I think we - as a group - have decided to try to do a better job than the night before - every night. Try to make it even better. So that helps keep the motivation happening. It’s a challenge and that’s one of the hardest things about doing a show like that but it’s new to everybody in the audience. Well, not everybody - but most of the people in the audience haven’t seen it so it’s a great show for what it is.

What’s a typical day like in the life of Jumaane Smith on tour with Michael?
A typical day. A day when we rode the bus the night before?

Either. Both. Concert days and days off …
Alright. So ... If we rode the bus the night before. Usually like once a week or maybe even twice a week sometimes there’ll be days when we ride the bus and me personally, I don’t really sleep as well on the bus …

I’ve seen the cots …
I prefer the term coffin! They’re not so big and it’s a bumpy ride so I don’t get a lot of sleep. Then sometimes we won’t have hotels for the day so I hang out at the venue and try to practice. Every day I try to go and see a piece of the city that I’m in just so if anybody ever asks me I can tell them some type of knowledge of the places I’ve been. Days off are about the same … except there’s a hotel involved.

So you manage to get some decent sleep then?
Yeah, definitely.

What’s a typical day like when you’re not touring - back home?
Back home? Usually in New York I’m running around trying to piece together gigs for my band and trying to see all my friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. Try to kind of be around the people that I miss being around. It’s just that I’m gone so much. Stuff like that. Practicing.

Do you carry your trumpet around with you on tour or is packed off with the rest of the gear?
I carry it with me.

Has anything ever happened to it?
Not yet. But I’m going to have trouble leaving London. Actually tomorrow I gotta go try to buy a hard case for my horn because I’m gonna have to check it. And I’ve never checked my horn before. I’m really worried about it. It’s a really fragile instrument.

Can you tell me some technical details about the trumpet you use on tour and if it differs from the horn you have at home?
The horn that I use on tour is the only trumpet that I have. Technical details - it has a medium-large bore and I use a relatively shallow mouthpiece for the show because it helps me to play the high register with more ease so that’s definitely a plus. For the show my setup is a lot different than for something like this. It takes a while to get used to a different setup.

Which parts of the show do you play strictly according to written arrangements and which parts are improvised?
The majority of the show is from the written arrangements. There are only a few parts that are improvised. I try to do some inflections on the material and we’ve kind of changed certain little things phrasing-wise to try to give it our own vibe I guess and that’s why it doesn’t sound exactly like the record.

But you guys aren’t on the record, right?
No, we’re not.

Are you going to be on the next album?
I don’t know - you’ll probably find out before I do! (Laughs)

What’s your favourite song that Michael sings during the show and why?
I really like when he sings the ballads. “You Don’t Know Me”, “Try A Little Tenderness” … he sings ballads really well. I mean - he sings everything really well but he’s really great at bringing across that sentimental feeling.

What has been your most moving or memorable experience touring with Michael?
Well there’s not really one specific experience. I mean just - we’re like a family out there. That’s what’s really memorable and that’s what’s really enjoyable. I feel like I’m with all my brothers and sisters. The whole entourage. Everybody - not just the band, not just Bublé and but like all the crew - everybody.

And that definitely translates when you’re all on stage playing together. It comes through in your peformances.
Yeah, definitely.

I really enjoy hearing you hit those high notes during “Moondance” …
Yeah? (Laughs).

How do you feel when you’re under the spotlight? Do you find it nerve-wracking or do you find it to be an exhilarating experience?
It’s a little bit of both. It’s definitely something that keeps your adrenalin pumping.

Do you ever think, “Oh my God, I’m not going to get there?”
Oh yeah, almost every night!

Has that ever happened?
Ah, yeah. It’s happened … its happened!

But nobody notices …
Well, hopefully not.

Is “Moondance” your favourite part of the concert or do you have another favourite part?
That’s one of my favourite parts to play. You know, I like playing “The More I See You”. Sometimes that’s really fun when it’s really in the pocket. We get it in the pocket sometimes, so yeah.

Do you play from the sheet music or from memory?
I haven’t played from the sheet music for probably 12 months. Everyone plays from memory with the exception of Josh Brown and Josh Sinton now, because he’s knew [Josh Sinton played baritone saxophone in the band for a period between Frank Basile leaving and Jacob Rodriguez joining the band].

What happened the other night? I heard that Michael called Josh [Sinton], Frank [Basile]? Was that a genuine mistake?
Yeah - it was pretty funny.

“Jumaane” is such a fantastic name. Does it mean something in a different language?
Yes, it’s Swahili and it means born on a Tuesday.

So presumably you were actually born on a Tuesday?
I was actually born on a Wednesday … no, I’m just playing … I was born on a Tuesday - to my knowledge!

Could you tell the fans a bit about your family origins and ancestry? You mentioned your Dad’s from Nigeria …
Yeah, my father’s from Nigeria. My family’s from Ile-Ife which is maybe a couple of hours out of Lagos. Then my mother is first generation American. My family is from Poland on my Mom’s side.

Do you speak any languages other than English?
I barely speak English … er, no …

If you were not a musician, what do you think you would most likely be doing as a career?
Hopefully something that would have a positive influence in the world. Something that would help to bring peace to this place and help to create some sort of unity and try to get rid of starvation, things like that. That’s what I hope to get into at some point, you know, in addition to music. And aside from that just travelling - I love to travel.

Airline pilot?
Maybe. Could be …

Along with other members of the band you have played together as “The Boathouse Allstars” at The Rex in Toronto. Whose idea was that and are there any future gigs planned?
(Laughs) “The Boathouse Allstars” was Franks’ baby. Frank [Basile] - he was really great because he was totally inspired to write music for an ensemble outside of just the Bublé show. It’s great because it gives us an opportunity to check in with our skills and make sure that everything is still going on OK outside of the show, you know? And we got a chance to get together and it was such a great adventure.

Do the guys in the band have any nicknames for you?
Any nicknames for me?

… that you can repeat!
(Laughs) That I can repeat? J-fro was a general nickname.

Before you had your hair cut?
Yeah.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to yourself?
I enjoy listening to good music of any kind. Any kind of music that’s done well and where people have a knowledge of their instruments and where people can really sing.

Outside of music what are your hobbies and interests?
I like sports and I like travel and leisure-type things … adventures in the wilderness.

Fans travel from all over the world to see Michael, you, and the rest of the guys perform live. By the same token, is there an act or artist you would travel the world over to see?
In 10 years, hopefully, my band!

Yeah, but you’d be playing in the band - you couldn‘t travel to see yourself?
Well … yeah. It would be kind of an out of body experience I guess.

You have your own band, Groovology. Do you have any plans to release any new Groovology records for public consumption?
Yes, I do. I do. I’ve started working on some stuff. We’re taking our time with it though trying to make it good. It’s been difficult the last year-and-a-half because I haven’t been around to do it but over the next 9 months hopefully I’ll be able to put something together that’s ready to be released shortly after that. I’m hoping to get it out within the next year.

Aside from the Groovology stuff do you have your own solo projects that you‘re working on?
Not presently. But hopefully eventually I would like to do that.

What do you consider to be your proudest achievement to date?
My proudest achievement? … Hmm, I don’t know. That’s a really hard question for me … Being alive I guess (Laughs).

What are your thoughts and feelings to the fact that fans are coming to see and appreciate the band as much as they are coming to see Michael?
I think that that’s great and I really appreciate that everybody really appreciates the music enough to come and appreciate the musicians.

And finally do you have a message for your fans?
Please keep supporting live music because it’s the only way that this art form will keep existing!



Jumaane Smith Photo Gallery

      Jumaane Smith - Dublin, Ireland (27th July, 2008)        Jumaane Smith - Dublin, Ireland (27th July, 2008)

 

Jumaane Smith - Dublin, Ireland (27th July, 2008)  Jumaane Smith - London, England (24th July, 2008)  Jumaane Smith - London, England (24th July, 2008)

 

          Jumaane Smith - London, England (20th August, 2006)           Jumaane Smith - London, England (20th August, 2006)

 

     Jumaane Smith - London, England (20th August, 2006)      Jumaane Smith - Kettering, OH, USA (29th June, 2006)

 

             Jumaane Smith - Toledo, OH, USA (28th June, 2006)          Jumaane Smith - Hamburg, Germany (28th May, 2006)

 

              Jumaane Smith - Paris, France (22nd May, 2006)         Jumaane Smith - London, England (17th November, 2005)