A leading drummer and producer, Nate Smith seamlessly blends jazz, funk, R&B, and hip-hop, driven by a groove that is both razor-sharp and deeply musical. LIVE-ACTION quickly made an impact, earning two GRAMMY Award nominations in the categories of Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Arrangement, Instruments & Vocals for the track featuring saje. With LIVE-ACTION Deluxe, Smith expands on the album’s live energy, staying true to his organic, hands-on approach while once again collaborating with top voices in contemporary jazz, including Braxton Cook.Nate Smith envisioned LIVE-ACTION as a producer-driven project inspired by the legacy of Quincy Jones.”As a producer, I wanted to activate all the relationships I’ve built over the past five or six years, especially since the pandemic, many of them through social media,” he explains.The album features an all-star cast of collaborators including Josh Johnson and Marquis Hill, rapper JSWISS, guitarists Charl