Louis Smith • Here Comes Louis Smith

 

Review
by Scott Yanow  
Louis Smith had a brilliant debut on this Blue Note album, his first of two before becoming a full-time teacher. The opener (Duke Pearson's "Tribute to Brownie") was a perfect piece for Smith to interpret, since his style was heavily influenced by Clifford Brown (who had died the previous year). He is also in excellent form on four of his basic originals and takes a particularly memorable solo on a haunting rendition of "Stardust." Altoist Cannonball Adderley (who used the pseudonym of "Buckshot La Funke" on this set, a name later used by Branford Marsalis), Duke Jordan or Tommy Flanagan on piano, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor make for a potent supporting cast, but the focus is mostly on the criminally obscure Louis Smith. After cutting his second Blue Note set and switching to teaching, Smith would not record again as a leader until 1978. All bop and '50s jazz fans are strongly advised to pick up this CD reissue before it disappears.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/here-comes-louis-smith-mw0000674800


Biography
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Louis Smith was a talented but under-recorded straight-ahead bop trumpeter who led two dates in the '50s before retiring to teach at the University of Michigan and the nearby Ann Arbor Public School system. For most of his career, he remained a teacher, making a brief comeback in the late '70s before returning to education. It wasn't until the mid-'90s that he resumed a recording career in earnest, turning out a series of albums for the Steeplechase label.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Smith began playing trumpet as a teenager. He graduated high school with a scholarship to Tennessee State University, where he studied music and became a member of the Tennessee State Collegians. Following his college graduation, Smith did a little graduate work at Tennessee before transferring to the University of Michigan, where he studied with professor Clifford Lillya. At Michigan, he had opportunities to play with traveling musicians, including Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. In January 1954, Smith was drafted into the Army, spending a little over a year and a half in his tour of duty. Once he left the Army in late 1955, he began teaching at the Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia. While teaching at Booker T. Washington, Smith continued playing bop and hard bop in clubs, and was able to jam with Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Zoot Sims, and Philly Joe Jones, among many others.

In 1956, he made his recording debut as a sideman on Kenny Burrell's Swingin'. A year later, he had the opportunity to lead his own recording session for Tom Wilson's Boston-based Transition label. He assembled a quintet featuring Cannonball Adderley (who performed under the pseudonym Buckshot La Funke), bassist Doug Watkins, drummer Art Taylor, and pianists Duke Jordan and Tommy Flanagan, who alternated on the date. Transition went out of business before the label had the chance to release the record. Blue Note chief Alfred Lion purchased all the Transition masters and signed Smith to an exclusive contract, releasing the session as Here Comes Louis Smith. During 1958, the trumpeter played on two Blue Note sessions -- Kenny Burrell's Blue Lights and Booker Little's Booker Little 4 and Max Roach -- in addition to leading the date that became Smithville. That brief burst of activity turned out to be his only recording dates for 20 years.

Smith moved back to the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, where he taught at the University of Michigan and public schools. Between 1978 and 1979, he cut a pair of albums -- Just Friends and Prancin' -- before returning to teaching. A decade later, Smith resumed his recording career in earnest. After playing on Mickey Tucker's Sweet Lotus Lips in 1989, he signed with Steeplechase and recorded Ballads for Lulu in 1990. He didn't return to the studio for another four years, but he did record two albums -- Silvering and Strike Up the Band -- in 1994. The Very Thought of You appeared in 1995. A year later, Smith recorded I Waited for You, which was followed by There Goes My Heart in 1997. Retired from teaching, Smith suffered a stroke in 2006, and subsequently became a regular presence among audience members at Southeastern Michigan jazz venues but did not return to performing or recording. He died in Ann Arbor in August 2016.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/louis-smith-mn0000420728/biography

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Reseña
por Scott Yanow  
Louis Smith tuvo un brillante debut en este álbum de Blue Note, el primero de dos antes de convertirse en profesor a tiempo completo. La primera pieza (Duke Pearson's "Tribute to Brownie") era perfecta para que Smith la interpretara, ya que su estilo estaba fuertemente influenciado por Clifford Brown (fallecido el año anterior). También está en excelente forma en cuatro de sus originales básicos y se marca un solo especialmente memorable en una inquietante interpretación de "Stardust". El contralto Cannonball Adderley (que utilizó el seudónimo de "Buckshot La Funke" en este disco, un nombre que más tarde usaría Branford Marsalis), Duke Jordan o Tommy Flanagan al piano, el bajista Doug Watkins y el batería Art Taylor forman un potente elenco de apoyo, pero la atención se centra sobre todo en el criminalmente oscuro Louis Smith. Tras grabar su segundo disco en Blue Note y dedicarse a la enseñanza, Smith no volvería a grabar como líder hasta 1978. Se recomienda encarecidamente a todos los aficionados al bop y al jazz de los 50 que adquieran esta reedición en CD antes de que desaparezca.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/here-comes-louis-smith-mw0000674800


Biografía
por Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Louis Smith fue un trompetista de bop de gran talento pero poco conocido que lideró dos grupos en los años 50 antes de retirarse para enseñar en la Universidad de Michigan y en el cercano sistema de escuelas públicas de Ann Arbor. Durante la mayor parte de su carrera siguió ejerciendo de profesor, aunque hizo una breve reaparición a finales de los 70 antes de volver a la enseñanza. No fue hasta mediados de los 90 cuando reanudó su carrera discográfica en serio, produciendo una serie de álbumes para el sello Steeplechase.

Natural de Memphis (Tennessee), Smith empezó a tocar la trompeta de adolescente. Se graduó en el instituto con una beca para la Universidad Estatal de Tennessee, donde estudió música y formó parte de los Tennessee State Collegians. Tras graduarse en la universidad, Smith realizó algunos estudios de posgrado en Tennessee antes de trasladarse a la Universidad de Michigan, donde estudió con el profesor Clifford Lillya. En Michigan, tuvo la oportunidad de tocar con músicos itinerantes, como Miles Davis y Dizzy Gillespie. En enero de 1954, Smith fue reclutado por el Ejército, y pasó poco más de año y medio en el servicio militar. Cuando dejó el ejército a finales de 1955, empezó a dar clases en el instituto Booker T. Washington de Atlanta, Georgia. Mientras enseñaba en el Booker T. Washington, Smith siguió tocando bop y hard bop en clubes, y pudo improvisar con Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Zoot Sims y Philly Joe Jones, entre muchos otros.

En 1956, hizo su debut discográfico como músico de acompañamiento en el álbum Swingin' de Kenny Burrell. Un año más tarde, tuvo la oportunidad de dirigir su propia sesión de grabación para el sello Transition de Tom Wilson, con sede en Boston. Formó un quinteto con Cannonball Adderley (que actuaba bajo el seudónimo de Buckshot La Funke), el bajista Doug Watkins, el batería Art Taylor y los pianistas Duke Jordan y Tommy Flanagan, que se alternaban en la fecha. Transition quebró antes de que el sello tuviera la oportunidad de publicar el disco. El jefe de Blue Note, Alfred Lion, compró todos los masters de Transition y firmó un contrato exclusivo con Smith, publicando la sesión como Here Comes Louis Smith. Durante 1958, el trompetista tocó en dos sesiones de Blue Note -- Blue Lights de Kenny Burrell y Booker Little's Booker Little 4 and Max Roach -- además de liderar la fecha que se convirtió en Smithville. Ese breve estallido de actividad resultó ser sus únicas fechas de grabación durante 20 años.

Smith regresó a la zona de Ann Arbor, Michigan, donde enseñó en la Universidad de Michigan y en escuelas públicas. Entre 1978 y 1979 grabó un par de álbumes, Just Friends y Prancin', antes de volver a la enseñanza. Una década más tarde, Smith retomó su carrera discográfica en serio. Tras tocar en Sweet Lotus Lips de Mickey Tucker en 1989, firmó con Steeplechase y grabó Ballads for Lulu en 1990. No volvió al estudio hasta cuatro años después, pero grabó dos álbumes, Silvering y Strike Up the Band, en 1994. The Very Thought of You apareció en 1995. Un año después, Smith grabó I Waited for You, al que siguió There Goes My Heart en 1997. Retirado de la enseñanza, Smith sufrió un derrame cerebral en 2006, y posteriormente se convirtió en una presencia habitual entre el público de los locales de jazz del sureste de Michigan, pero no volvió a actuar ni a grabar. Falleció en Ann Arbor en agosto de 2016.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/louis-smith-mn0000420728/biography

Tracks:
1 - Tribute To Brownie - 6:35
2 - Brill's Blues - 8:18
3 - Ande - 6:39
4 - Star Dust - 5:16
5 - South Side - 8:35
6 - Val's Blues - 6:17

Credits:
    Alto Saxophone – Cannonball Adderley
    Bass – Doug Watkins
    Composed By – Louis Smith (2) (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6)
    Creative Director [Reissue Creative Direction By] – Gordon H Jee
    Design [Cover Design] – Reid Miles
    Design [Reissue Design By] – Amanda Wray
    Drums – Art Taylor
    Liner Notes [Original] – Leonard Feather
    Liner Notes [Reissue] – Bob Blumenthal
    Photography By [Cover And Liner] – Francis Wolff
    Piano – Duke Jordan (tracks: 1, 2, 5), Tommy Flanagan (tracks: 3, 4, 6)
    Producer – Tom Wilson (2)
    Reissue Producer – Michael Cuscuna
    Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
    Trumpet – Louis Smith (2)

Originally recorded on February 4 (#1, 2, 5) and February 9 (#3, 4, 6), 1957 at Audio Sonic Sound, New York City.
Originally issued in 1958 as Blue Note BLP 1584.

Label: - Blue Note – 50999 5 14381 2 8
Series: - RVG Edition
Country: - US
Released: - 2008
Genre: - Jazz
Style: - Hard Bop
https://www.discogs.com/release/11226590-Louis-Smith-Here-Comes-Louis-Smith

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