Jazz Articles about Tab Smith

Tab Smith: Top 'n' Bottom

by Jack Bowers
January 1, 2002

Here are twenty–one danceable and gently swinging numbers recorded in 1953–54 by the underrated (and almost forgotten) saxophonist Tab Smith who shows clearly why he was held in such high regard by Count Basie, Lucky Millinder and others for whom he worked as a sideman. Smith, who nimbly straddles Jazz’s swing and contemporary eras, displays a strong Lester Young influence on tenor, while his creamy alto (heard on most selections) enkindles memories of such early pioneers as Johnny Hodges, Russell ...