Nate Smith and Kinfolk

Drummer Nate Smith—a former member of Dave Holland's prestigious quintet and big band—is a contemporary master of the instrument. In lieu of his usual chilled-out, R&B-informed jazz fare, his latest release, Pocket Change, features his micro-precise chops all on their own—a solo drum album that acts as a veritable drummer's bible of riffs, grooves, fills and feels. Here, however, he shows up with the full ensemble: pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Fimo Ephron, guitarist Brad Allen Williams and saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, who has a following of his own.