Hello, everybody!
I hope all of you survived the torrential rain in Nagoya this week. It was scary, inconvenient, and exhausting, but thankfully the sunshine has returned. Let’s enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts!
This week, we’d like to introduce a fascinating band from Los Angeles called SML. If you enjoy discovering new music or you’re simply curious about jazz, this group is a great place to start.
Have you ever heard musicians make up music as they play? This is called improvising. To improvise means to create music in the moment instead of following a written song. Instead of performing the same way every night, musicians listen to one another and invent new ideas together. It’s one of the most exciting parts of jazz.
SML is a five-member band made up of Anna Butterss on bass, Jeremiah Chiu on synthesizers, Josh Johnson on saxophone, Booker Stardrum on drums and percussion, and Gregory Uhlmann on guitar. Together, they mix jazz, electronic music, rock, and ambient sounds into something fresh, dreamy, and hypnotic.
Los Angeles has become one of the world’s most creative cities for modern jazz. Many musicians work across different styles and often perform in several bands, creating a welcoming community where new ideas can grow. SML is one of the best examples of this exciting music scene, using improvisation to build long pieces that slowly change and develop.
The band’s first album, Small Medium Large (2024), introduced listeners to their unique sound. Their second album, HOW YOU BEEN (2025), became even more popular and showed how powerful their live performances had become. Their newest release, Spontaneous Music Live (2026), features two long, completely unedited performances, allowing listeners to experience the feeling of the band improvising in real time. Please feel free to follow the link below to watch a video from this concert.
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If you’re interested in new music and want to share your favorites with someone, please come to BRIDGE and discuss the topic with us! We will always have open ears for innovative, inspiring music. Take care and enjoy your weekend.
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