Carson Smith (musician)

Carson Smith
Background information
Birth name	Carson Raymond Smith
Born	(1931-01-09)January 9, 1931 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	November 2, 1997(1997-11-02) (aged 66) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Double bass
Years active	1952–unknown

Carson Raymond Smith (January 9, 1931, San Francisco – November 2, 1997,

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).^[1] Smith also recorded with Clifford Brown (1954), Dick Twardzik (1954), and Billie Holiday at Carnegie Hall (1956).^[2] In 1959, he toured with Stan Kenton, then recorded with Charlie Barnet in 1960.^[2] In 1962, he moved to Los Angeles, playing with Charlie Teagarden (1962) and Lionel Hampton (1963).^[1] He toured Japan with Georgie Auld in 1964.^[2] Later in the 1960s, he played with Buddy Rich, Arno Marsh, and Carl Fontana.^[2] 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.^[1]

He died of cancer in Las Vegas at the age of 66.^[3]

Discography

As sideman

With Chet Baker

• Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman and Strings (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
• Chet Baker Sings (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
• Jazz at Ann Arbor (Pacific Jazz, 1955)

With Chico Hamilton

• Chico Hamilton Quintet (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
• Chico Hamilton Quintet in Hi-Fi (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• Sweet Smell of Success (Brunswick, 1957)
• Ellington Suite (World Pacific, 1959)
• The Original Chico Hamilton Quintet (World Pacific, 1960)
• Spectacular! (World Pacific Jazz, 1968)

With others

• Clifford Brown, Jazz Immortal (Pacific Jazz, 1960)
• Lionel Hampton & Charlie Teagarden, The Great Hamp and Little T (Coral, 1963)
• Fred Katz, Zen: The Music of Fred Katz (Pacific Jazz, 1957)
• Dick Marx, Marx Makes Broadway (Omega Disk, 1958)
• Gerry Mulligan, Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
• Gerry Mulligan, Mulligan and Baker! (Jazztone, 1957)
• Jack Montrose Presents Bob Gordon Quintet, Clifford Brown Ensemble, Arranged by Montrose (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• Buddy Rich, Swingin' New Big Band (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
• Dick Twardzik, The Last Set (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
• Tommy Vig, The Tommy Vig Orchestra (Take V, 1965)

References