Today, Nate Smith — whose drumming, according to The New York Times, “is a marvel unto itself” — releases the deluxe edition of his latest album LIVE-ACTION. The album, released in August of last year, is an emphatic statement of the producer, composer, educator, and bandleader’s versatility and ever-expanding musical vocabulary. As such, LIVE-ACTION is also being nominated for two GRAMMY awards: Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for album standout “Big Fish” featuring säje. Nate Smith was also just nominated by the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Jazz Album.

The deluxe version of the album features five new tracks: “Hop Skip Jump” featuring the saxophonist Braxton Cook (Mac Miller, Marquis Hill, Rihanna), “All Is Fine (feat. Melanie Charles),” “View From The Perch,” “Remains,” and “Early Autumn,” as well as five new instrumental versions.

Listen to LIVE-ACTION (Deluxe) here.

Incorporating sumptuous and Prince-ly synthetic funk, Afrobeat’s deft rhythmic feel, the smoothly psychedelic explorations of jazz fusion, J Dilla’s woozy sway, Quincy Jones’s cosmopolitan symphonies, and the sensual snap of neo-soul greats like D’Angelo and Maxwell, LIVE-ACTION is both audacious and awe-inspiring. The album doesn’t merely traverse through genre exercises; it’s a master craftsman, having internalized the mechanics of a wide-ranging collage of sounds and scenes, constructing something altogether his own. Listen to LIVE-ACTION here.

The album features performances from horn players Josh Johnson and Marquis Hill; the rapper JSWISS; guitarists Charlie Hunter and Lionel Loueke; bassists Michael League, Ben Williams, and CARRTOONS; keyboardists DJ Harrison and Keifer; the group säje and vocalist Jermaine Holmes; and Lalah Hathaway, who sings an unsurprisingly daring cover of “Automatic,” the 1984 hit for The Pointer Sisters.

Watch Nate Smith perform tracks off the album live from KEXP here and for WXPN’s World Cafe here.

Nate Smith is an in-demand collaborator, thriving in both the bleeding edge underground jazz scene and the highest echelons of popular music. He’s toured and recorded with stars like Brittany Howard, Childish Gambino, Jon Batiste, Norah Jones, and Michael Jackson. He counts among his peers generational talents, from legends like Pat Metheny and Ravi Coltrane to young guns like Fearless Flyers, Josh Johnson, and James Francies.

He’s a global touring powerhouse (see his packed itinerary of live dates below) and an accomplished recording artist, recognized with two GRAMMY nominations for his 2017 LP KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere. His unique combination of unreal chops and intuitive communication has translated on social media, where his videos teach complex rhythmic principles and resonate both as showcase and seminar.