Stuff Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stuff Smith
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Stuff Smith by William P. Gottlieb
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith |
| Born | August 14, 1909 Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | September 25, 1967 (aged 58) Munich, Germany |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
| Instruments | Violin |
Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (born August 14, 1909 – died September 25, 1967) was an amazing American jazz violin player. Most people knew him as Stuff Smith. He was famous for his lively violin playing and for a song called "If You're a Viper".
Stuff Smith was one of the best jazz violinists during the swing era. Other famous violinists from that time included Stéphane Grappelli and Joe Venuti.
Contents
Early Life and Music Journey
Stuff Smith was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, in the United States in 1909. He learned to play the violin from his father.
He said that Louis Armstrong, a very famous jazz musician, was his biggest inspiration. Like Armstrong, Stuff Smith could sing as well as play his instrument.
Playing in Bands
In the 1920s, Stuff Smith played music in Texas. He was part of a band led by Alphonse Trent. Later, he moved to New York City.
In New York, he often performed with his own group, a sextet (a group of six musicians). They played regularly at the Onyx Club starting in 1935. He also played with other jazz legends like Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker.
Recording Hits
In 1936, Stuff Smith signed with Vocalion Records. He had a big hit song called "I'se a Muggin'". His group was known as Stuff Smith and His Onyx Club Boys.
He recorded more music for Vocalion in 1936. He also made recordings for Decca in 1937 and Varsity in 1939–1940.
He even played on some songs for the famous Nat King Cole Trio. These recordings are on their album called After Midnight.
Innovations and Legacy
Stuff Smith was known for being a very creative musician. He was one of the first violinists to use electric amplification for his violin. This meant his violin could be heard much louder!
He helped write the song "It's Wonderful" in 1937. This song was often performed by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, two of the greatest jazz singers ever.
Later Years and Recognition
Even though he was a swing musician, Stuff Smith's style helped connect swing music to a newer style called bebop.
In 1965, he moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. He continued to play music actively in Europe. He passed away in Munich, Germany, in 1967, at the age of 58. He is buried in Denmark.
Stuff Smith is also in a famous photograph from 1958 called A Great Day in Harlem. This picture shows 57 important jazz musicians all together.
Selected Recordings
Stuff Smith recorded many albums as a leader and with other musicians. Here are a few examples:
As a Leader
- Stuff Smith (Verve, 1957)
- Dizzy Gillespie and Stuff Smith (Verve, 1957)
- Have Violin, Will Swing (Verve, 1958)
- Cat on a Hot Fiddle (Verve, 1960)
- Stuff and Steff with Stéphane Grappelli (Barclay, 1966)
- Violin Summit with Stephane Grappelli, Svend Asmussen, Jean-Luc Ponty, (SABA, 1967)
As a Sideman
- With Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook Volume One (Verve, 1975)
- With Dizzy Gillespie: Dee Gee Days: The Savoy Sessions (Savoy, 1976)
- With Sun Ra: Deep Purple (Saturn, 1973)
- With Nat King Cole: After Midnight (Capitol, 1956)
Images for kids
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A robot for kids
See also
In Spanish: Stuff Smith para niños
