Carrie Smith

Carrie Smith in 1977 with Eddie Locke

Carrie Louise Smith (August 25, 1925 – May 20, 2012)^[1] was an American blues and jazz singer. She was not well known in the United States but had a cult following in Europe.^[2]

Career

Smith was born in Fort Gaines, Georgia. She was a member of a church choir that performed at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. She first won notice singing with Big Tiny Little in the early 1970s, but became internationally known in 1974 when she played Bessie Smith (to whom she is of no relation) in Dick Hyman's Satchmo Remembered at Carnegie Hall.^[2] Smith then launched a solo career, performing with the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Tyree Glenn (1973), Yank Lawson (1987), and the World's Greatest Jazz Band, in addition to recording numerous solo albums. She starred in the Broadway musical Black and Blue from 1989 to 1991.^[3] The liner notes to the CD reissue of Only You Can Do It feature laudatory remarks from jazz critics Rex Reed, Leonard Feather, Richard Sudhalter, and John S. Wilson. The album, produced by Ben Arrigo for GPRT Records, features the compositions of Gladys Shelley.

Discography

As leader

Confessin' the Blues (Evidence Records, 1976)
Do Your Duty (Black & Blue Records, 1976)
Fine and Mellow (Audiophile Records, 1976)
Nobody Wants You (Black & Blue, 1977)
When You're Down and Out (Black & Blue, 1977)
Carrie Smith (West 54 Records, 1979) with Richard Wyands, George Duvivier, Art Farmer, Richie Pratt, Budd Johnson
Only You Can Do It (GP, 1982)
Sings the Blues and then Some (Fat Cat's Jazz, 1982) (cassette)
Gospel Time: Negro Spirituals and Gospel Songs (Black and Blue, 1982)
June Night (Black & Blue, 1992)
Every Now and Then (Silver Shadow Records, 1993)
Sings Gospel Live in Europe (Self-released, 2001)
I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues (with Roland Hanna, IPO Records, 2002)

As sideman

Harlem on Parade 77 with Buddy Tate, Doc Cheatham, Hank Jones
Winard Harper - Faith ^[4]
Dick Hyman - Piano Players & Significant Others
Art Hodes - Authentic Rhythm Section^[5]
Clark Terry - Live on Qe2^[6]
After Hours With The 3B's - Bross Townsend, Bob Cunningham and Bernard Purdie.^[7]
I Love Jump Jazz - Bross Townsend^[8]

References