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by Mary Bentley
This month, Smoothviews would like to introduce
you to the very talented bass player Dwayne Smith, known by most people
as Smitty. Smitty is a Washington, DC native who began playing bass in
school during his early teen years. “I began messing around with the
bass around age 12 or 13.” He was originally drawn to the drums, but
soon switched to the bass. “Once I picked up the bass, I never went
back to the drums. It was amazing.” And, it was a perfect match. While
the bass is his instrument, he also dabbles in keyboards, “just enough
to write,” as he puts it. His musical style was influenced along the
way by the music of Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, and Marcus Miller,
who turned out to be his strongest influence.
Smitty served four years in the Air Force, using part of that time to play in the Air Force band. It was midway through his tour when he realized that he wanted to be a professional musician. When his tour ended, he packed up and headed west, landing in Los Angeles, a place where so many musicians migrate to and call home. A year after arriving in L.A., Smitty landed his first gig. “I moved here in ’86. I didn’t know anybody. A year later, not knowing one soul, I auditioned for Anita Baker and got the gig. That was my first tour.” Not a bad first tour at all. After that, things began to fall into place for him. One thing led to another, and he was doing regular tours and gigs with major artists like: Teena Marie, Natalie Cole, Boney James, Gerald Albright, Everette Harp, George Howard, The Isley Brothers, Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, Guitars & Saxes, Jeff Lorber, and Peter White. The list goes on and on. Smitty has played with most of the major smooth jazz and R&B musicians of the day. He grew up listening to R&B, so imagine the thrill when he actually toured with and played with groups like The Gap Band, the Isleys, the O’Jays, and the Ohio Players. “Twenty years later, I was on stage with the Isley Brothers. That was a real trip. I would see these guys every day and every night for weeks. Everybody I ever dreamed of playing with as a kid, I either played with them or went on tour with them.” While he does not come from a musical family, he has managed to pass the musical gene down to his children. Smitty has two daughters who are following in the musical footsteps of their dad. His elder daughter is a freshman in college. She is a talented writer who is studying music composition. His younger daughter is in high school. She is a gifted singer. Smitty feels fortunate to be in a position where he can teach them and help them with their musical endeavors. “I have a lot of insight. I can teach them and help them be on the right path, if that’s what they want to do. They are both pretty great. If they keep their heads together and do it right, they’ll be alright.” Smitty released his first CD, This Is Me, in 2005 and is currently working on his second release. He’s hoping for it to be completed by the summer. When not working on his own music, he is recording with other musicians. He just finished up work on Will Downing’s new album, and is featured on Oli Silk’s latest release. He’s also worked on current projects with Maysa, Ledisi, Lalah Hathaway, and Najee. “I bounce around; a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” When not making music, Smitty likes to spend time with his family whether it’s going bowling, or to the movies, to the beach, or just sitting around at home chilling. For the last nine years, Smitty has produced a benefit concert called The Starlight Jazz Serenade, which is a fundraiser for Hands 4 Hope. Hands 4 Hope raises money for after school programs to benefit at risk youth. Each year, Smitty gathers four or five top notch headline artists who donate their time and talent for this benefit concert. These artists are backed by an all star band. Hosted by Pat Prescott, this event is literally a who’s who in the smooth/contemporary jazz genre. This show is held annually in February in L.A. Some of the artists who have performed for this benefit include Patrice Rushen, Michael Lington, Peter White, George Duke, Brian Culbertson, Gerald Albright, Boney James, and Norman Brown. It is worth mentioning to note that no artist he asked has ever turned him down for this event.
www.dwaynesmittysmith.com |
