Jimmy Rowles's "The Peacocks" is one of the most hauntingly beautiful ballads in the jazz repertoire, a composition of exquisite harmonic sophistication that unfolds with the patience of a slowly opening flower. Walter Smith III's reading on his 2018 album Twio takes the tune at approximately 50 beats per minute in B-flat minor, an extremely slow tempo that demands exceptional breath control, tone production, and emotional commitment from the saxophonist. Smith's three-quarter-chorus solo on tenor saxophone is deeply moving, with each phrase shaped with careful attention to dynamics and color. The tune's AABA form contains some of the most beautiful chord progressions in all of jazz, and Smith's improvisation reveals a thorough understanding of and respect for these harmonies. At this tempo, the music exists in a meditative space where time seems to slow down, allowing the listener to experience each harmonic shift as a profound emotional event. The tune is perhaps best known through Stan Getz's iconic 1977 duo recording with Rowles himself, and Smith's decision to include it on Twio places him in dialogue with that legendary performance. His interpretation is entirely his own, however, demonstrating the individuality and emotional depth that distinguish him as one of the most thoughtful tenor saxophonists working today.
