Walter Smith III

About

Walter Smith III is an American tenor saxophonist and composer born in Houston, Texas in 1980. He trained at Berklee College of Music and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, and now chairs Berklee's Woodwind Department. Long-running collaborations with Ambrose Akinmusire, Eric Harland and Jason Moran have shaped a post-bop voice that is both technically assured and deeply lyrical. His Blue Note debut *return to casual* (2023) and its follow-up *three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not* (2024) confirmed his standing as one of the leading tenor voices in jazz today.

3

album as leader on Blue Note Records (2023-2026)

9+

releases as leader (since 2006)

What's new

2026-03
Walter Smith III released his third Blue Note album *Twio, Vol. 2* in March 2026 - a reinterpretation of classic jazz standards with bassist Joe Sanders, drummer Kendrick Scott and guests Ron Carter and Branford Marsalis.
2026-04
Smith performed a five-night residency at Smoke Jazz Club in New York in April 2026 leading his quartet.
2024-09
His sophomore Blue Note album *three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not* was released in September 2024 with Jason Moran, Eric Harland and Reuben Rogers.
2023-04
Blue Note debut *return to casual* was released in April 2023 and received broad critical and audience acclaim.
2022
Berklee College of Music appointed Walter Smith III as head of the Woodwind Department, a position he assumed on May 1.