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Sean Smith (bassist)

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For other uses, see Sean Smith (disambiguation).
Sean Smith
Leon Parker and Sean Smith (left) in the trio of Jacky Terrasson 2007
Leon Parker and Sean Smith (left) in the trio of Jacky Terrasson 2007
Background information
Birth nameSean Smith
Born1965
Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
Instrument
  • Double bass
Years active1984–present
Labels
Websitewww.seansmithjazz.com

Sean Smith (born 1965 in Greenwich, Connecticut)[1] is an American jazz double bass player and composer.

Early life and education

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Sean Smith was born in Greenwich, Connecticut in 1965. He began learning the Alto saxophone in the fourth grade, then switched to the electric bass and played rock and roll, before finally finding the double bass in high school and engaging with jazz music. His influences were Miles Davis and Weather Report, especially Wayne Shorter and Jaco Pastorius. In 1990, he completed his studies at the Manhattan School of Music and had already been working in the New York jazz scene since the early 1980s.[2]

Career

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Smith made his first recordings in 1984, with guitarist Greg Packham. In the following years, he played with Allen Lowe (For Poor B.B. and Others ...), Virginia Mayhew, Richard Peaslee, and with pianist Bill Charlap, with whom he recorded a duo album in 1993 featuring standards like "Donna Lee", "Darn That Dream", and "When Your Lover Has Gone".

In 1999, his debut album Sean Smith Quartet Live was recorded on the SS Norway; his quartet consisted of Allen Mezquida (alto saxophone), Bill Charlap, and Ron Vincent (drums).[3] Two other albums under his own name followed.[4][5]

According to Judith Schlesinger of AllMusic, writing in early 2000s, the "pitch-perfect, fluid, and elegant bassist" is one of the most employed musicians in the international jazz scene.[2]

Smith also composes music for films.

Awards and honors

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Smith received the 2007 Back Stage magazine's Bistro Award in the instrumentalist category.[6] His ensemble was awarded the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming in 2015.[7] The song "Song for the Geese" composed by Smith[8] is the title track of an album by Mark Murphy, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.[9] The 2003 album Into the Blue by Emmanuel Pahud and Jacky Terrasson, in which he participated as a bassist, was also nominated for a Grammy.[10]

Selected discography

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References

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  1. ^ "Sean Smith". JazzTimes. April 1, 2002. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Schlesinger, Judith. "Sean Smith Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More ..." AllMusic. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Nastos, Michael G. "Sean Smith Quartet Live Review". Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Schlesinger, Judith. "Poise - Sean Smith". AllMusic. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Bilawsky, Dan (May 9, 2011). "Sean Smith Quartet: Trust album review". All About Jazz. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 1, 2007). "Luker, David, Pettiford and Stritch Among Bistro Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Oteri, Frank J. (January 23, 2015). "The 2015 CMA/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and Other New Music at CMA". New Music USA. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Jones, Peter (2018). This is Hip: The Life of Mark Murphy. Popular music history. Sheffield, UK ; Bristol, CT: Equinox Publishing. pp. 114–134. ISBN 978-1-78179-473-9.
  9. ^ "40th Annual GRAMMY Awards". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  10. ^ "46th Annual GRAMMY Awards". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
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