SML is a Los Angeles-based quintet blending jazz, Afrobeat, kosmische, and ambient influences into a sound that’s both groove-forward and exploratory. The group features a powerhouse lineup of musicians from across the city’s jazz, indie, and experimental scenes: bassist Anna Butterss (Phoebe Bridgers, Makaya McCraven), synthesist Jeremiah Chiu (Ariel Kalma), saxophonist Josh Johnson (Meshell Ndegeocello, Leon Bridges), percussionist Booker Stardrum (Lee Ranaldo, Amirtha Kidambi), and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann (Perfume Genius, Sam Wilkes).
Their debut album, Small Medium Large, was recorded over four nights of improvisation at LA's Enfield Tennis Academy and released by International Anthem in June 2024. The record channels the energy of live performance while using studio editing techniques that nod to the collage-like production style of Miles Davis’s In a Silent Way.
SML has performed at Public Records in Brooklyn and recently played a sold-out show at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles. With a lineup of artists fluent in multiple musical languages, SML offers a rich and evolving sound that moves fluidly between structure and spontaneity.
DJ set by Jeff Parker and Scottie McNiece (International Anthem Records)
