Smiodair

Event Description

Smiodair is an international quartet with roots that go back over twenty years. Drummer Dave Smith and saxophonist Robin Fincker first played together at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, going on to co-found the Loop Collective in London in 2005 — a venue, festival and record label that became a hub for the UK and European creative music scene. Their long creative partnership continued through Outhouse, the Ruhabi project and Splice, accumulating a body of work that spans jazz, improvised music and West African rhythm traditions.

Bassist Simon Jermyn came into the fold through a collaboration between Dublin's Bottlenote Collective and the Loop Collective in 2006, before a decade in New York and a move to Berlin that took his playing to new places.

The word Smiodair — from the Irish for fragments or small broken pieces — captures something true about three musicians whose paths have diverged and reconnected across London, Paris, Dublin, New York and Berlin.

For their UK tour in November 2026, the trio expands to a quartet with the addition of trumpeter Laura Jurd — one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British jazz. The new lineup deepens the band's sonic palette while staying true to the collective, compositional spirit at its heart.

Playing original music composed by all four members, the quartet constantly weaves between composition and improvisation — thunderous grooves colliding with dreamlike sonic landscapes. Without a harmony instrument, the music is raw and direct, rich in melody and rhythm.

Artists

Laura Jurd - trumpet

Robin Fincker - saxophone

Simon Jermyn - bass

Dave Smith - drums

Laura Jurd
Composer-performer Laura Jurd's unique voice as an improvising trumpet player is at the heart of everything she creates. Her music celebrates and innovates the rich traditions of jazz and folk music, digging into something primal and earthy, whilst taking twists and turns that prove Laura to be one of the UK's most distinctive composer-performers in contemporary music.

As a composer she has collaborated with the London Sinfonietta, the Festival of New Trumpet Music, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the Ligeti Quartet to name a few. She has performed throughout the UK, Europe and beyond with Mercury-nominated band Dinosaur and under-her own name, having played the likes of North Sea, Montréal and Molde International Jazz festivals to name a few.

Robin Fincker
French saxophonist and clarinettist Robin Fincker (7/7/1980) is a prominent figure of the European creative-music scene. He has been described as an “ultra-virtuoso from whom each following wave instills the impression of creation” (Liberation) and has developed an instantly recognisable sound enthused with stylistic freedom through mixing improvised-music, jazz, traditional folk-music, rock and electronic music.

Having lived in London between 1997 and 2009, his musical collaborations show an insatiable appetite for building sonic bridges and collisions. He has played with a wide range of key bands and musical-figures of his time including Vincent Courtois, Benoit Delbecq, Hilmar Jensson, Daniel Erdmann, Julien Desprez, John Parish, Pierre-Alexandre Tremblay, Aquaserge, Bill Frisell, Pascal Niggenkemper, John Greaves, Evan Parker, Kit Downes, Paul Rogers, Surnatural Orchestra and the Orchestre National de Jazz amongst many others.

Simon Jermyn
A guitarist, electric bassist, composer, and educator, Simon Jermyn is an NYC/Berlin based musician originally from Ireland. Simon is busy with a variety of projects and bands, including Jim Black's Smash and Grab, Wood River, the Marc Hannaford Trio, Roamer, and Sooner, as well as his own band Obsany and solo performances.

As a sideman and collaborator, Simon has worked with Jim Black, Chris Speed, John Zorn, Gerald Cleaver, Mat Maneri, Anna Webber, Tom Rainey, Chris Lightcap, Ingrid Laubrock, Mark Ferber, Michaël Attias, Tony Malaby, Ben Goldberg, Jeff Davis, Allison Miller, Nate Wood, Simon Nabatov, Loren Stillman, Satoshi Takeishi, Caleb Burhans, and many others. He has performed at the Village Vanguard, The Stone, Winter Jazz Fest, Joe's Pub, and many other clubs, festivals and performance spaces around the world.

Dave Smith
Dave Smith is a drummer, rhythm educator, and founder of the Dave Smith Rhythm Academy and Rhythm Skool—a global community of musicians developing internal pulse and unshakeable timing through body-based rhythm training. Dave is best known for his six years touring and recording with Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters (2012-2018), including two albums on Nonesuch Records: lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar (2014) and Carry Fire (2017). Performance highlights include Glastonbury Festival, Austin City Limits, Sydney Opera House, The Royal Albert Hall, and appearances on The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, and Live with Jools Holland.

As co-leader of Fofoulah and Outhouse Ruhabi, Dave pioneered groundbreaking fusions of West African Sabar drumming with European jazz, releasing albums on Glitterbeat and Loop Records. He has also worked with Juju (with Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara), recorded for Rachid Taha and Bassekou Kouyate, and performed with Patty Griffin, Donny McCaslin, Chrissie Hynde, and Eddie Henderson.

Location of event

Venue Information - The Bank

The Bank is The Digital Hub’s latest repurposed space; from a former Bank of Ireland to a new versatile venue for the creative and business community.

The large, self-contained square space, 1,185 sq. ft. in size, can be used for a wide variety of things — from rehearsals, performances, exhibitions, launch events and filming location to business seminars, workshops, networking events and training courses. The standard rate is €450 per day, dropping to €375 per day when The Bank is booked for two or more days. To enquire about booking The Bank at The Digital Hub, please send us your requirements and our team will be in touch.