Bill Smith (jazz musician)

William O. Smith (born September 22, 1926 in Sacramento, California), better known as Bill Smith, is a U.S. jazz clarinetist. He played with Dave Brubeck, among others.

[edit] Overview

Bill Smith began playing clarinet when he was ten. Playing in both a jazz orchestra as well as the Oakland Symphony, he went on to study at Mills College under Darius Milhaud, one of the leading developers of Third Stream Jazz. There he met pianist Dave Brubeck, with whom he has played many times since, in both the famous Dave Brubeck Octet and The Dave Brubeck Quartet, as well as other groups. He also attended Juilliard, Berkeley, and the Paris Conservatory. In 1996, Smith performed with Portuguese American singer/songwriter Jorge Ferreira, playing trumpet in recording sessions of Ferreira's 1996 album A Portuguesa É A Mais Linda. He was notably the trumpet player of the hit title track, one of the best Ferreira's songs of the 90's. He is one of the leading living experts on Twelve-Tone Row Construction. He is currently on the faculty of the University of Washington School of Music.