¿QUÉ?—Ian Smit Ignites a New Era of Experimental Jazz

Ian Smit has unleashed his newest musical expedition, ¿QUÉ?, released December 5, 2025—a fully improvised album crafted with an all-star lineup: David Torn on electric and national steel guitar, Tom Rainey on drums, and Scott Petito on acoustic/electric bass, who also engineered and mastered the record. The project captures four master improvisers stepping into a room with virtually no instructions other than to listen, interact, and let the music reveal itself.

Smit entered the studio with a single guiding intention: to create a musical conversation filled with dynamic peaks, valleys, and unexpected turns—an instinctive approach for this crew. Except for “Bee Still” and “Raindrops and Waterspouts,” which began as loose harmonic sketches, everything on ¿QUÉ? emerged in real time, without prior discussion. Melody, groove, sonic disruption, and even silence became tools for spontaneous composition.

The collaboration carries decades of history. Smit first worked with Torn in 1987 on his cassette-only release Ping, recorded at Scott Petito’s original studio. Years later, after reconnecting with Petito during a separate session, Smit felt the spark that eventually led to the creation of ¿QUÉ?. Tom Rainey—whose expressive drumming Smit had long admired—was the obvious final piece. “Tom was definitely number one on the list,” Smit says. “This recording would not have come to fruition if Tom wasn't available.”

The recording setup was deliberately raw: Smit, Torn, and Rainey in the same room, separated only by gobo panels to allow for controlled bleed and even intentional feedback; Petito in another room to accommodate both acoustic and electric bass. The interplay among the musicians—some meeting musically for the very first time—proved electric. “Was all that risky? Evidently not,” Smit says. “I was riding on a rocket ship!”

The album’s 11 tracks travel through meditative spaces, sudden eruptions, textural experiments, and moments of unguarded beauty. It’s a document of four distinctive voices merging in the moment.

Personnel:
Scott Petito – Acoustic/Electric Bass, Composer, Production Assistant, Recording/Mastering Engineer
Tom Rainey – Drums, Composer
Ian Smit – Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Effects/Loops, Composer, Producer
David Torn – National Steel/Electric Guitar, Effects/Loops, Composer, Production Assistant
Assistant Engineer – David Payette
Recorded live April 28, 2025 at NRS Recording Studio, Catskill, NY
Cover Art: Stephen Byram

Track List:

1. Bee Still (8:24)

2. Next is a Good Place to Be (11:01)

3. That Not So Clear Day in September (5:27)

4. Oil Can Sweets (7:17)

5. Raindrops and Waterspouts (5:48)

6. A Quiet Cafe Until It's Not (8:47)

7. Oil Can Beets (2:48)

8. Barker de la Carnivale (6:47)

9. Oil Can Leeks (4:54)

10. Wizard of Wut (3:47)

11. Pitter Patter All That Matters (4:58)

Smit’s collaborators bring deep resumes: Petito’s decades of work across jazz, folk, rock, and film; Rainey’s extensive career performing with giants of modern improvisation; Torn’s globally influential sonic and textural innovations. Their combined histories make ¿QUÉ? feel both inevitable and completely unpredictable.

Smit closes the story simply:
“Play because you love it, and maybe good things might come your way if you're lucky enough to see and latch on to them—like playing with a bunch of truly exceptional ringer nice guys like David, Tom and Scott!”