Tyler Matthew Smith

It was in a perfect storm that Tyler Matthew Smith started his band.

He was employed by a city council member in a legislative office in the upper west side of Manhattan, New York. He worked in the arena of education policy while playing in several bands. The whole aspect of education and politics became eye opening for him and according to Tyler, “a very tumultuous personal period.”

Tyler relocated to San Francisco and continued to work for a non-profit in education. His vision widened to society at large and the challenges we now face.

Tyler reflects, “I saw a broken world through a broken individual’s eye.” At this “perfect storm” time in Tyler’s life, he lived in his van, composed music, and built a San Francisco-style jam band. Tyler hadn’t really sung before, his first instrument being the saxophone, and he therefore needed to hone his vocal instrument, as well.

The Tyler Matthew Smith Band at Monk's Bar in Missoula

One song he wrote that really reflects that time is Hamdulillah. The song came to him by what Tyler calls, “a scratch recording with a flute solo. I was chanting, mumbling through a part of the song. I played it for my brother and he told me it sounded like I was saying an Arabic word that would fit with the song.”

In Arabic, Hamdulillah is an expression of gratitude; literal translation is “Praise to Allah”. It is a colloquial word used throughout the Arabic speaking world, including Africa. It speaks to people of diverse languages and cultures; it crosses barriers which reflect the other lyrics of the song. It is thanks to God for a beautiful day.

The word of praise would be used to express gratitude for the extra special things in life. “It was the gravy or the sugar on top” explains Tyler, “something extra special came out of the core of the song Hamdulillah.”

A little over a year ago, all of his gear was stolen out of his van. Tyler usually took most of his equipment out of his van when he was not sleeping in it.

That particular night he decided to crash on a friends couch for the night and left all his gear in the van. Everything was gone the next day. Tyler saw this as a blessing where he says, “through having less stuff I was able to re-prioritize.”

Tyler posted online all the serial numbers and a list of items so his friends and people he knew could look in stores and pawn shops for the equipment.

The Tyler Matthew Smith Band at Monk's Bar in Missoula

Previously at a gig, Tyler met a woman named Alli Battaglia. She contacted Tyler and told him she had a trust fund that was specifically for musicians and that she could replace one instrument. She told him to shop for something that would work for him.

Skepticism ran high in Tyler. At first he thought, “Sure, yeah, who is this lady?” That disbelief ended when she offered him $5,000 to purchase an exquisite 1947 horn. The horn resided with one family for the majority of its life, and is in amazing condition. Come to find out the trust foundation was simply a grandmother who left money to the grandkids. The stipulation to the inheritance was that they were to give the money away when there was a tragedy.

Tyler’s lyrical style shifted from an axe to grind to a more observational look at the human condition. He began looking through a different lens reflecting on the challenges of life, diverse situations, varied thoughts, and people’s emotions.

Tyler Matthew Smith creates through soul, folk, and classical jazz style music. His band consists of: “Identically handsome twins”, Chris Kelly (guitar & back-up vocals) and Jon Kelly (piano), Al Torre (lead guitar), Adam Farley (drums), and James Pouzel (bass).

You can see them live at 9:00 p.m. at Monk’s on June 29th along with the duo, Montana Skies. The cover is $5. Check the band’s music out on their website. - Make It Missoula

By Ted Mills, News-Press Correspondent
June 22, 2012 11:41 AM
IN CONCERT
Tyler Matthew Smith
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State St.
Cost: $10
Information: 962-7776 or sohosb.com
Your modern-day troubadour is much like the old ones, with a guitar
slung over the shoulder, looking for a place to play. Or he or she is
looking for a piano and a tip jar. But what of the singer-songwriter
whose ax is a sax? Tyler Matthew Smith is one of a rare breed who
balances his tales of love and heartache along with slinky saxophone
solos. Although he was at SOhO only a month or so ago with a
guitarist at his side, he returns this Tuesday with a full band, all
ready to lay down a larger, sunnier sound.
On his most recent album, 2011's "Hamdulillah," Smith nods to Neil
Young, Dave Matthews, Paul Simon and Van Morrison, while tracks
like "Shining Dancer" sound like outtakes from "Graceland," one of
Smith's favorite albums. The vibe is mellow, but always upbeat. If
there's a ballad here, you can still tap your foot to it.
Smith was born in Nevada City, but counts San Francisco as his
home base.
"It's a blessing and a curse," says Smith about his choice of instrument. It sets him apart from the pack, yes. "But
it's tough that the thing you can do, you can't do by yourself."
He is reliant on other musicians to fill in his sound. He's competent on guitar and sometimes writes on it, but he's
not going to stand in front of people and strum away. "I only started really writing songs with (Apple software)
GarageBand," he says. "It's so easy to lay down tracks on that. I could play the parts enough until I got it write. It
was a way to take the sounds I heard in my head and map them out.
"I feel like a product of the technology sometimes."
The career path for a sax player usually means playing in bands in the horn section — which Smith did on the East
Coast playing corporate gigs. "But I got to a point where I couldn't play 'I Will Survive' one more time," he
remembers.
Smith made his way back to the West Coast four years ago, and after some "personal turmoil, relationship stuff," it
all boiled into a moment where the lyrics started to spring out. "It was a slow grind," he says of getting to where he
is. "It's hard to keep motivated sometimes, but then I look back at some gigs and look at where I am now, and it
looks pretty cool."
The title track of his album (similar to an Arabic word for 'praise Allah') was one of the first tracks Smith wrote at
the beginning of his songwriting burst. "I'm definitely a learn-by-doing person. I have to put things down and then
start editing," he says.
The album was recorded in Los Angeles in several studios — an experience from which Smith picked up several
lessons. "There's a lot of little stuff I learned," he says. "Comfort level is also important. It was a head thing more
than any.
"There's also the 'curse of the demo,' where you can't recapture the magic of a demo. That's why, for the next
record, I'm not recording anything in advance. I'll make notes, but I'm not going to make any full arrangements."
Smith wants to record his next album in a house, not a studio — somewhere with high ceilings. (Anybody with a property lead — feel free to contact Smith on Tuesday.) "I feel like I've opened up on these new songs, so I want
the house to feel the same way," he says. - Santa Barbara News-Press