Carol Abbe Smith

I love jazz because it makes me smile and feel good. I was first exposed to jazz by my mom who was a stride player and my day had big band music from the '30s and '40s. I met Donald Fagen in college and he taught me blues chords. The best show I ever attended was hearing Charles Mingus live at the Five Spot when I was 14. The first jazz record I bought was Mingus Ah Um. .Jazz has been a big part of my life and has given me more then I give back to the music but I will keep trying to because I have no choice.