Carson Smith (musician)

This article is about the jazz musician. For the writer born Carson Smith, see Carson McCullers. For the baseball player, see Carson Smith (baseball).

Carson Smith

Carson Raymond Smith (January 9, 1931, San Francisco – November 2, 1997, Las Vegas) was an American jazz double-bassist. Carson is the older brother of notable jazz musician & composer, Putter Smith.

Smith's early work was in West Coast jazz, playing with Gerry Mulligan (1952–53), Chet Baker (1953–55), Russ Freeman (1955–56), and Chico Hamilton (1955-57). Smith also recorded with Clifford Brown (1954), Dick Twardzik (1954), and Billie Holiday at Carnegie Hall (1956). In 1959 he toured with Stan Kenton, then recorded with Charlie Barnet in 1960. In 1962 he moved to Los Angeles, playing with Charlie Teagarden (1962) and Lionel Hampton (1963). He toured Japan with Georgie Auld in 1964. Later in the 1960s he played with Buddy Rich, Arno Marsh, and Carl Fontana. He held a longtime residency at the Four Queens Hotel in Las Vegas, where he accompanied visiting musicians such as Art Farmer, Lew Tabackin, Zoot Sims, and Chet Baker.

Discography

With Chet Baker

• West Coast Live - with Stan Getz (1953-54 [1997])
• Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman (Pacific Jazz, 1953)
• Pretty/Groovy (World Pacific, 1953-54 [1958])
• The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker (Prestige, 1954)
• Jazz at Ann Arbor (Pacific Jazz, 1954)
• Chet Baker Sings and Plays (Pacific Jazz, 1955)

With Chico Hamilton

• Chico Hamilton Quintet featuring Buddy Collette (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
• The Original Chico Hamilton Quintet (World Pacific, 1955 [1960])
• Chico Hamilton Quintet in Hi Fi (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• Chico Hamilton Quintet (Pacific Jazz, 1957)
• Sweet Smell of Success (Decca, 1957)
• Ellington Suite (World Pacific, 1959)

With Fred Katz

• Zen: The Music of Fred Katz (Pacific Jazz, 1957)

With Jack Montrose

• Arranged by Montrose (Pacific Jazz, 1954)

With Gerry Mulligan

• Gerry Mulligan Quartet Volume 1 (Pacific Jazz, 1952)
• Lee Konitz Plays with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Pacific Jazz, 1953 [1957]) with Lee Konitz
• Gene Norman Presents the Original Gerry Mulligan Tentet and Quartet (GNP, 1953 [1997])

References

• Barry Kernfeld, "Carson Smith". Grove Jazz online.