Marvin Smith

Marvin "Smitty" Smith (born June 24, 1961) is an American jazz drummer and composer.

Marvin Smith was born in Waukegan, Illinois, where his father, Marvin Sr., was a drummer. As a result, "Smitty" was exposed to music at a young age, receiving formal musical training at the age of three.^[1] After graduating from Waukegan East High School, Smith attended College of Lake County from 1983 to 1985 as a member of their Jazz Ensemble after graduating class of 1981 Berklee,^[2] has recorded 200 albums with various artists, as well as two solo albums.^[3] He also has toured with Sting, Dave Holland, Sonny Rollins, Willie Nelson and with Steve Coleman.^[3] He is a former member of The New York Jazz Quartet,^[1] and drummer under fellow Berklee alum and Musical Director Kevin Eubanks, for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from January 30, 1995^[3] to the show's end on May 29, 2009 and the start of the second incarnation, The Jay Leno Show, March 1, 2010.

He is currently the show's drummer for Harry Connick Jr.'s day time TV talk show, Harry.

Smith is often an in-studio guest on The Loose Cannons sports radio program, on Los Angeles' KLAC-AM, often when the Tonight Show is on a vacation break.

Smith is married to Kimberly Brown-Smith of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Discography

As leader

• Keeper of the Drums (Concord Jazz, 1987)
• The Road Less Traveled (Concord Jazz, 1989)

As sideman

With Hamiet Bluiett

• Ebu (Soul Note, 1984)

With Joanne Brackeen

• Turnaround (Evidence, 1992)

With Igor Butman

• Falling Out (Impromptu, 1993)

With Don Byron

• No-vibe Zone (Knitting Factory Works, 1996)

With Steve Coleman and M-Base

• Steve Coleman Group: Motherland Pulse (JMT, 1985)
• Five Elements – On the Edge of Tomorrow (JMT, 1986)
• Five Elements – Sine Die (Pangaea, 1987)
• Strata Institute (Double Trio with Greg Osby): Cipher Syntax (JMT, 1989)
• Five Elements – Rhythm People (Novus/BMG, 1990)
• Strata Institute: Transmigration (Rebel-X/Columbia, 1991)
• Five Elements – Black Science (Novus, 1991)
• Rhythm in Mind (Novus, 1991)
• M-Base Collective: Anatomy of a Groove (Rebel-X/DIW/Columbia, 1992)
• Five Elements – Drop Kick (Novus, 1992)

With Robin Eubanks

• Karma (JMT, 1991)
• Mental Images (JMT, 1994)

With Art Farmer

• Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (Contemporary, 1987)
• Ph.D. (Contemporary, 1989)

With Benny Golson

• Funky Quintet – That's Funky (Arkadia Jazz, 2000)

With Gunter Hampel New York Orchestra

• Fresh Heat – Live at Sweet Basil (Birth, 1985) with Bill Frisell, Curtis Fowlkes, Bob Stewart, a.o.

With John Hicks

• Beyond Expectations (Reservoir, 1993)

With Dave Holland

• Seeds of Time (ECM, 1983)
• The Razor's Edge (ECM, 1987)
• Extensions (ECM, 1990)

With Andy Jaffe

• Manhattan Projections (Stash, 1985) with Wallace Roney and Branford Marsalis

With the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet

• Back to the City (Contemporary, 1986)
• Real Time (Contemporary, 1986)

With Carmen Lundy

• Jazz & the New Songbook: Live at the Madrid (CD and DVD, Afrasia, 2005)

With David Murray

• Children (Black Saint, 1984)

With Sonny Rollins

• Sonny Rollins Plays G-Man and Other Music for the Soundtrack of the Robert Mugge Film "Saxophone Colossus" (Milestone, 1987)

With Michel Sardaby

• Going Places (Sound Hills, 1989)

With Archie Shepp

• Soul Song (Enja, 1982)
• Down Home New York (Soul Note, 1984)

With Superblue

• Superblue 2 (Blue Note, 1989)

With Harvie Swartz, Mick Goodrick, and John Abercrombie

• Arrival (Novus, 1992)

With Gebhard Ullmann, Andreas Willers, and Bob Stewart

• Suite Noire (Nabel, 1990)
• With Terence Blanchard & Donald Harrison
• New York Second Line (The George Wein Collection)

References