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Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Born June 24, 1961 in Waukegan (Illinois). "It was a very natural inclination for me to play drums," says Marvin "Smitty" Smith. A glance at his early life validates that truth. Born the son of a drummer, Marvin, Sr., was always surrounded by music in the house.

At six months old, he would climb up on the large lounge chair positioned directly in front of his father's drum set and would watch him practice, intensely. Whenever his father took a break, he would crawl over and press the foot pedals and attempt to emulate his dad. That experience, and banging on pots and pans, was the extent of his playing until he began formal training at the age of three.

Today, Marvin "Smitty" Smith is a young musician extraordinaire whose work has been described as a "comment on invention, firm and adventurous time and technical sufficiency." He has traveled extensively throughout the Orient, Europe, and the continental USA; and he has shared the stage with such greats as Sonny Rollins, Hank Jones, Frank Foster and Frank Wess, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, and Milt Jackson. He is a former member of the Ron Carter Quartet, The New York Jazz Quartet, and The Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet.

Featured on more than 45 albums, additional performances and recordings augmented with Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison, Ray Brown and Phineas Newborn, George Shearing, Bobby Watson, Hamiet Bluiett, Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Emily Remler, Peter Leicht, Kevin Eubanks, Donald Byrd, Monty Alexander, Diane Reeves, Michel Camilo, and Grover Washington Jr. Currently he's a member of Steve Coleman's Five Elements, and The Dave Holland Quartet. Smitty conducts seminars and clinics for students in jazz workshops, both in the United States and Europe; and is currently on staff of jazz program at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts, Canada, and Drummers Collective, New York City.

Smitty has been Downbeat Critics' Poll winner for Talent Deserving Wider Recognition, 1985 through 1987, and 1989. Smitty performed on the Soundtrack of filmmaker Spike Lee's "School Daze", appeared in Sonny Rollins' music video "Saxophone Colossus", and a member of Sting's "Nothing Like the Sun" South American tour, 1987. Regarded as a well rounded musician with the ability to play all styles, Marvin "Smitty" Smith is a blossoming composer and arranger, and his success has earned him two albums as a bandleader. As a versatile drummer, there seems to be nothing be cannot do.

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11
Album Review

Orrin Evans: The Red Door

Read "The Red Door" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


A most generous craftsman, composer and bandleader, pianist Orrin Evans never fails to bring out the best of whoever he chooses to create with. The Red Door is gratefully, and gracefully, no exception to that rule. Whatever musical setting Evans chooses to practice his sinewy, r'n'b inflected post-bop in--sideman, big band, trio, quartet, duo, whatever--a sweet animation propels his music and buoys the players gathered around him. In this case the two core units feature bass legend Buster Williams, ...

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Read "The Red Door" reviewed by Dave Linn


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Read "Uptown on Mardi Gras Day" reviewed by Jack Bowers


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For computer programmers, a source code is a piece of computer language, which they are able to read and transfer and put to use in a practical way. With his debut album, L.A. Source Codes, bassist Will Lyle makes a connection between this concept and jazz. As with computer programming, jazz has its own language, and learning the language of jazz can be somewhat challenging. A skilled player, however, can take musical “source codes," such as chords, scales and arpeggios, ...

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The gigless times of 2020--the year of the Covid-19 pandemic--could have brought musicians and the industry to their collective knees, gasping for air. Instead, it resulted in more new music than ever before. It filled our lungs with fresh air. It filled our hearts and souls, not to mention our ears. New businesses opening, defying the odds and pursuing their dreams, is a relevant factor. Le Coq Records, emerging in 2020, boldly presents an all-star ensemble—featuring many of ...

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Read "That's Funky" reviewed by AAJ Staff


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Read "That​’​s Funky" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Part 1: Way Back When. I had a colleague that always insisted that the Creedence Clearwater Revival’s recording Green River sounded better on vinyl than remastered for compact disc. I compared the two and I found this to be true, but probably not for any sonic reasons. Analog recordings are almost always warmer and rounder than their digital counterparts. There is something about that slightly “muddy” sound (and if you are wondering what I mean by that, listen to the ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Marvin “Smitty" Smith's birthday today!

Marvin “Smitty" Smith, Born June 24, 1961 in Waukegan (Illinois). “It was a very natural inclination for me to play drums," says Marvin “Smitty" Smith. A glance at his early life validates that truth. Born the son of a drummer, Marvin, Sr., was always surrounded by music in the house. At six months old, he would climb up on the large lounge chair positioned directly in front of his father's ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Marvin “Smitty" Smith's birthday today!

Marvin “Smitty" Smith, Born June 24, 1961 in Waukegan (Illinois). “It was a very natural inclination for me to play drums," says Marvin “Smitty" Smith. A glance at his early life validates that truth. Born the son of a drummer, Marvin, Sr., was always surrounded by music in the house. At six months old, he would climb up on the large lounge chair positioned directly in front of his father's ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Marvin “Smitty" Smith's birthday today!

Marvin “Smitty" Smith, Born June 24, 1961 in Waukegan (Illinois). “It was a very natural inclination for me to play drums," says Marvin “Smitty" Smith. A glance at his early life validates that truth. Born the son of a drummer, Marvin, Sr., was always surrounded by music in the house. At six months old, he would climb up on the large lounge chair positioned directly in front of his father's ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Marvin “Smitty" Smith's birthday today!

Marvin “Smitty" Smith, Born June 24, 1961 in Waukegan (Illinois). “It was a very natural inclination for me to play drums," says Marvin “Smitty" Smith. A glance at his early life validates that truth. Born the son of a drummer, Marvin, Sr., was always surrounded by music in the house. At six months old, he would climb up on the large lounge chair positioned directly in front of his father's ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Jazz Musician of the Day: Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Marvin “Smitty" Smith's birthday today!

Marvin “Smitty" Smith, Born June 24, 1961 in Waukegan (Illinois). “It was a very natural inclination for me to play drums," says Marvin “Smitty" Smith. A glance at his early life validates that truth. Born the son of a drummer, Marvin, Sr., was always surrounded by music in the house. At six months old, he would climb up on the large lounge chair positioned directly in front of his father\'s ...

"As important as his versatility, swing, and ability to interpret and interact, is the actual sound or timbre of his drums— Smitty has a true, resonant, musical quality that continues the lineage of Dodds, Catlett, Clarke, Roach and the Joneses (Elvin and Philly Joe)." —Peter Leitch

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Uptown on Mardi Gras...

Troubadour Jass
2023

buy

The Red Door

Smoke Sessions Records
2023

buy

The Stars of Jazz #2

Arkadia Records
2022

buy

The Jazz All Stars...

Le Coq Records
2021

buy

L.A. Source Codes

Self Produced
2021

buy

That's Funky

Arkadia Records
2021

buy

Weezy

From: The Red Door
By Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Uptown on Mardi Gras Day

From: Uptown on Mardi Gras Day
By Marvin "Smitty" Smith

Forasteira

From: L.A. Source Codes
By Marvin "Smitty" Smith

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