ABOUT | ashtonsmithtrumpet

ASHTON SMITH - TRUMPET

Ashton Smith is a London-based trumpet player, music teacher, and composer. With professional experience playing jazz, big band, pop, funk, soul, ska music, and more, he is continually developing both as a musician and educator.

Biography.

UK born and based trumpeter Ashton grew up in Luton, Bedfordshire, where he first started learning the trumpet. He attended primary and secondary schools in the local area, as well as the Luton Sixth Form College. Alongside schooling, Ashton played with local youth music ensembles, such as the Luton Youth Jazz Orchestra. Valuable opportunities with the band include a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, a concert with British jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth, and a workshop with American composer, arranger, and performer Gordon Goodwin. Ashton also played regularly with the NYJO Academy Big Band aged 17-18.

In 2016, Ashton gained a scholarship to study an undergraduate degree in Jazz at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire until 2020. During this time, he received regular trumpet tuition from Percy Pursglove and Steve Fishwick. He also benefitted greatly from the teachings of Ryan Quigley, John O'Gallagher, Arnie Somogyi, Jeremy Price, Hans Koller, Ed Puddick, and several others.

Ashton has been coached by and performed the music of Tim Berne and Matt Mitchell, as well as Drew Gress, Patrick Cornelius, and John Fedchock, on separate occasions. He has played support sets for Drew Gress and for Ross Stanley in Eastside Jazz Club. He has also attended a variety of masterclasses led by Dick Oatts, Jerry Bergonzi, Eddie Henderson, Bruce Barth, Gilad Hekselman, Soweto Kinch, John Abercrombie, Marc Copland, Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, Mark Nightingale, Mike Lovatt, Martin Speake, Jorge Rossy, and Ethan Iverson.

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Whilst studying in Birmingham, Ashton played regularly with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Ellington and Jazz Orchestras, performing a concert under the direction of British composer Mike Gibbs. Ashton has also played with the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra - an ensemble comprising musicians with connections to the Birmingham scene.

Venues and events Ashton has played at include Birmingham Town Hall, Cheltenham Town Hall, HMV Empire Coventry, Kensington Olympia, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Lincoln Cathedral, and Southport Jazz Festival. He has played at Cheltenham Jazz Festival with his own sextet and with John Surman, Chris Laurence, and John Marshall, playing in the 'Brass Project Live' (featuring the music of John Warren). Ashton has also played at Leeds Town Hall, and several other venues with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

As a freelance trumpet player, Ashton performs regularly up and down the country in jazz, funk, soul, pop, dance, and era-music settings, often for private functions, events, and weddings. He has been fortunate enough to play abroad in Europe, play support for Bad Manners as a dep with the Ska45s, and feature as a sideman for other festival dates in England. Ashton is now a member of Big Smoke Brass - UK, a London-based upbeat brass and percussion band.