“The setlist moved fluidly between the expansively cinematic and the intimately personal…a triumph of musical ambition and individual artistry.” Tom Spargo, Jazzwise
Following the critical success of his debut big band album A Year In The Life, award-winning saxophonist, composer and arranger Tom Smith returns to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club on Thursday 22 January 2026 with the world premiere of his latest project, ‘Trailers’ – an ambitious new six-part suite inspired by the drama, atmosphere and emotional depth of film music.
Conceived as a cinematic experience for jazz orchestra, ‘Trailers’ explores six different film genres, each reimagined through Smith’s vivid compositional lens. Rather than offering straightforward pastiche, Smith uses the textures, harmonies and orchestral colours associated with film scores as a springboard for original storytelling through jazz – combining rich orchestration with powerful improvisation and dynamic ensemble writing.
“Each piece paints a scene or evokes a mood – the way a great film composer might – but everything is original,” explains Smith. “The big band becomes the camera, the lighting, the actors, the whole set.”
Adding a visual dimension, designer Ollie Hayward has created six fictional movie posters, each corresponding to one movement of the suite. These striking artworks will be projected during the performance and printed on postcards for audience members to take home, offering both programme notes and keepsake artwork.
This performance continues Smith’s mission to expand the reach of big band jazz, with accessible, emotionally resonant music that bridges jazz, film and contemporary classical sound worlds, building on the momentum of Smith’s acclaimed debut A Year In The Life (Fey Moose Records / ECN Music).
