Label: Blue Note Records, 2023

Personnel - Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone; Matthew Stevens: guitar; Taylor Eigsti: piano, Fender Rhodes; Harish Raghavan: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums // + guests - Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet (#2,8); James Francies: Fender Rhodes (#9).

Walter Smith III, an ingenious saxophonist equally fluent in melody and rhythmic expression, debuts on the Blue Note imprint with Return to Casual, a formidable 10-track album comprising nine originals and one re-imagined art-pop song from the ’80s.

The enthusiasm, virtuosity and tightness of Smith’s core quintet is on full display during “Contra”, a breathtaking sonic rollercoaster made with speed and stamina. The head is melodically infused with sax-guitar parallelism while the rhythm team - Taylor Eigsti on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums - tactfully establishes a suitable backdrop. Both Smith and guitarist Matthew Stevens - his partner on the acclaimed In Common project - deliver searing improvisations.

“River Styx” is the tune that follows, featuring beautiful statements from Smith and guest trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. Both take the most advantage of the harmonic riches and balance that characterize the piece. The physical and emotional range of Akinmusire’s brass moves can also be heard on “Amelia Earhart Ghosted Me”, where he engages in a lyrical conversation with Smith. A different dialogue - more like a battle of keyboards - is proposed on “K8+BYU$”, a soaring horn-less piece in five that guests James Francies. He is bound to tremendous exchanges with Eigsti.

If “Shine” offers a characteristically splendorous theme expressed with a subtle strength that gains an invigorating triple feel, then “Quiet Song” misleads you with its title as it shapes as a driving mid tempo number with fierce piano and percussion activity. Less exuberant is the final track, “Revive”, a heartfelt ballad written for the recently departed artist/activist Meghan Stabile, as well as Kate Bush’s “Mother Stands For Comfort”, where sax melodies dance around and above stippled guitar imprints.

This album ranks as Smith’s finest efforts, channeling his compositional virtuosity and a mastery of the saxophone that transcends technique.