Originally from Ottawa, ON, Patrick Smith is a Toronto-based saxophonist who has studied with Mike Murley, Kelly Jefferson, and acclaimed American saxophonist Mark Shim. Smith has established himself as a gifted and in-demand musician on the Canadian music scene. An active bandleader, he heads three projects: his quintet, his trio 3-Oh, and Pangea – a jazz fusion concept group that combines UK jazz, neo-soul, R&B, and world music. Pangea features top Toronto musicians Darryl Joseph-Denie (Ahi, Listening Room), Kae Murphy (BADBADNOTGOOD, Whitney), and Jon Catanus (Erez Zobary, Diskarte).
Pangea’s debut album, Pangea: Rebirth, is a bold exploration of global musical connectivity and jazz fusion. The album covers a wide stylistic and emotional range, from celebratory funk to deeply reflective ballads. Its lead single, “Endless Construction,” (dedicated to Eglinton West), captures the album’s ethos with its unique mix of groove-driven rhythms, compelling improvisation, and a narrative inspired by Toronto’s urban chaos.
I wrote the song, “Endless Construction,” (dedicated to Eglinton West), after a particularly brutal drive through Toronto traffic – the kind where you’re stuck for 20 minutes just trying to get onto the Allen Expressway. I was frustrated, but when I came home, I turned that annoyance into music. It’s inspired by a band improvisation from a previous gig and channels the reflective energy I wanted the album to capture. – Patrick Smith
What can you share with readers about your new project?
Pangea is a group that plays UK Jazz fused with Neo-Soul, World Music and R&B. A jazz fusion concept group featuring some of the top members of the Toronto music scene. This group draws from the spirit of John Coltrane reimagined in the 21st century in the age of connectivity across the globe. It features an all star cast of young established Toronto players who’ve played with everyone from BADBADNOTGOOD to Yemen Blues.
How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the Past?
The Pangea record is probably the most mainstream thing I’ve done. I think listeners who aren’t that into jazz will really dig it and perhaps/hopefully become more into jazz. The project has been able to do that in a live setting playing at some venues where my other my traditional jazz groups would not have been able to play. I hope to get that happening from people listening to the record as well.
What about this single makes you most proud?
I really think the saxophone solo I take on Endless Construction is great. I usually don’t say that about my own solos. Perhaps it’s the many hours of rage at sitting in traffic that went into. Good musical fuel!
Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?
This might be a dull answer but I really just wanted to document the group at the stage we were at and get some music out there for people to check out. I feel that I’m in a phase of my life where I want to make a bunch of records, almost more than I want to play live. I’m enjoying recording more than I have in the past. I wanted to get this record out to listeners. I think its a cool concept and a strong product. More than anything I want people to know about Jon, Darryl, and Kae and how ridiculous they are as musicians.
What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
The thing that makes me feel most fulfilled in my life is playing my own original music. I toured heavily in my early 20s and it was great. I played on some big stages at festivals and theatres across North America, and at the end of it I was exhausted. I then had a phase for a number of years where I played in what felt like every band in Toronto doing a million different gigs all the time as a freelance saxophonist. I made being the guy that could do anything my primary focus. I led bands through all that but after doing everything I realized that I felt more fulfilled playing my own music to 20 people than I did playing other people’s music to 10,000 people. Perhaps that is selfish but I really feel that I’ve got something special to say in my own voice and in the songs I write. What motivates me to keep going is mostly an act of rebellion against the world. It would be a lot easier to just become an IT guy and golf on the weekends or something in that vein. I’d probably crush it, but I don’t think I’d be as happy. As hard as it is to keep creating and being a musician especially when society tells me that I’ll have more money and be better off doing something else, I feel like it’s my duty to keep up the good fight and rebel against those forces at large. Especially with the current state of the world, I don’t know how I would get my emotions out in a healthy way if I didn’t create music.
If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.
There’s so many. Alive it would probably be Shabaka Hutchings or Bjork, they’re just incredible artists doing cool things. Kendrick Lamar and the Canadian bassist Rich Brown also come to mind. For artists that have passed on I’m going to say Billie Holiday and Stan Rogers. I know it will never happen because she’s elderly and at the end of her life, but Joni Mitchell for me is the greatest artist of all time, I think about her on a nearly daily basis.
What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?
I was just checking out the new record from one of Toronto’s finest artists Kubla. Neo-Soul/R&B. It’s really good. His sax player Tymish Koznarsky is a young guy who I really think is amazing. I’ve also been digging into this artist Clairo that all my Gen Z students are raving about. I like that there’s a bunch of popular music that’s more on the minimalist side. That group boygenius comes to mind as well. Just beautiful stuff.
The Rolling Stones are my all time favourite band, I grew up with them and their music continues to really hit me strongly. I drove 10 hours to Philly to go hear them last year. Drove back the next day. I consider bands different from artists. The stones aren’t even in my top 10 favourite artists but they are my favourite band. Objectively terrible musicians who somehow make this music that I find objectively timeless, it defies logic but then again music shouldn’t be logical.
My favourite all time artist on my instrument is Sonny Rollins. His force and what he represents inspire me daily.
My favourite all time artists are Joni Mitchell, John Coltrane and Beethoven. I think they have a tier to themselves at the top. I’ve studied all three of them in depth and will be continuing to do that the rest of my life.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
YouTube, Instagram, my website. I’m all over the internet. Come to a show and say hi!
I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?
Spread love not hate in these times that increasingly make us want to hate each other. Thank you for having me on here!
I wrote the song, “Endless Construction” (dedicated to Eglinton West), after a particularly brutal drive through Toronto traffic – the kind where you’re stuck for 20 minutes just trying to get onto the Allen Expressway. I was frustrated, but when I came home, I turned that annoyance into music. It’s inspired by a band improvisation from a previous gig and channels the reflective energy I wanted the album to capture. – Patrick Smith
Smith’s creative process and vision shine throughout Pangea: Rebirth, which draws influences from artists like Shabaka Hutchings and Ezra Collective, as well as genres beyond the jazz idiom, such as neo-soul and world music. The decision to record the album live to tape in a small, unfinished basement studio added a raw, old-school energy. “Endless Construction” (dedicated to Eglinton West) showcases the album’s experimental spirit, featuring a vintage Hammond B3 organ and daring effects on saxophone and sousaphone that give the track a modern edge.
