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Hal Smith

Hal Smith took up drumming in 1963. He listened to classic jazz drummers such as Ben Pollack, Nick Fatool, Wayne Jones, and Fred Higuera in person and later took lessons from Jake Hanna. Hal has also been inspired by the recordings of Dave Tough, Big Sid Catlett, Zutty Singleton, Jo Jones, Vic Berton, Andrew Hillaire, Ray Bauduc, Gene Krupa, George Wettling, Kaiser Marshall, Stan King, Harry Dial, Minor Hall, Wally Bishop and many others. He claims "Chicago Style Jazz" as his favorite type of music, but also enjoys listening to and playing "New Orleans," "New York" and "Kansas City" styles.

Hal has played with some of the greatest jazz musicians from the classic jazz, swing and traditional jazz revival eras, including Wild Bill Davison, Yank Lawson, Billy Butterfield, Bud Freeman, Peanuts Hucko, Ralph Sutton, Eddie Miller, George Van Eps, Milt Hinton, Dick Wellstood, Maxine Sullivan, Dick Cary, Vic Dickenson, Jack Lesberg, Art Hodes, Doc Cheatham, Turk Murphy, Bob Helm, Wally Rose, Bill Napier, Burt Bales, Ellis Horne, "Papa Ray" Ronnei, Percy and Willie Humphrey, Ed "Montudie" Garland, Alton Purnell, Andy Blakeney, Frank Chace, Bob Havens, Pete Fountain, George Probert, Pat Yankee, Kenny Davern, Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna, Dick Hyman, Eddie Higgins, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jon-Erik Kellso, Dan Barrett, Howard Alden, Jim Galloway, John Sheridan, Randy Reinhart, Allan Vache', John Coccuzi, Ken Peplowski and Ed Polcer.

His band credits include the Butch Thompson Trio, Dukes of Dixieland, Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band, South Frisco Jazz Band, Davern-Wilber Summit Reunion, Marty Grosz's Orphan Newsboys, Original Salty Dogs, Hall Brothers Jazz Band, Dixieland Rhythm Kings, Silver Leaf Jazz Band, West End Jazz Band, Magnolia Jazz Band, Golden State Jazz Band, Chicago Rhythm, Waldo's Gutbucket Syncopators, Golden Eagle Jazz Band and more.

Other bands that Hal has worked with during the last few years include the Yerba Buena Stompers, Bob Schulz's Frisco Jazz Band, New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Tim Laughlin/Connie Jones and the New Orleans All-Stars, Ray Skjelbred and his Cubs, Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band, Rebecca Kilgore and Friends, occasional appearances with Banu Gibson and New Orleans Hot Jazz, Climax Jazz Band, Chicago Six, Grand Dominion Jazz Band, Jonathan Stout and the Campus Five, Titanic Jazz Band and Sue Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra. In addition, Hal has played blues (James Harman, Nathan James, Ben Hernandez, Billy Watson, Robin Henkel, Blue Largo), Country & Western (Big Rig Deluxe, Working Cowboy Band), Western Swing (Hi-Lo Playboys) and Rockabilly (Cash Kings, Hot Rod Lincoln, Gino and the Lone Gunmen).

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Now Hear This: Hal Smith on Zutty Singleton

Now Hear This: Hal Smith on Zutty Singleton

Source: Jazz Lives by Michael Steinman

Zutty Singleton: Face Drives the Train A friend once remarked that playing in a band with Zutty Singleton “was like trying to stay ahead of a freight train that was bearing down on you." Indeed, when Singleton was inspired, the pulse of his drumming took on the power of a highballing freight! One of the best examples of this forward momentum may be heard on “King Porter Stomp" (Decca 18093), recorded under Singleton's name in New York City on 28 ...

“I don't know what religion Hal Smith practices, and it would be rude of me to ask, but he works miracles when he plays. His rollicking beat makes any band sit up straight and play a thousand times better. He listens to his colleagues and doesn't overshadow them. Just hearing Hal play a four-bar hi-hat introduction is a treat. He's an old-fashioned musical drummer in the best contemporary way: he loves the many sounds he can get from his drum set and he generously shares them with us. I am sure that the ghosts of Dave Tough, George Wettling, Sidney Catlett, Zutty Singleton, and Baby Dodds, wherever they might be, feel cosmic pleasure when Hal Smith swings out. As do we!”

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