Hal Smith

Hal Smith took up drumming in 1963. He listened to classic jazz drummers such as Ben Pollack, Nick Fatool, Wayne Jones, and Fred Higuera in person and later took lessons from Jake Hanna. Hal has also been inspired by the recordings of Dave Tough, Big Sid Catlett, Zutty Singleton, Jo Jones, Vic Berton, Andrew Hillaire, Ray Bauduc, Gene Krupa, George Wettling, Kaiser Marshall, Stan King, Harry Dial, Minor Hall, Wally Bishop and many others. He claims "Chicago Style Jazz" as his favorite type of music, but also enjoys listening to and playing "New Orleans," "New York" and "Kansas City" styles.

Hal has played with some of the greatest jazz musicians from the classic jazz, swing and traditional jazz revival eras, including Wild Bill Davison, Yank Lawson, Billy Butterfield, Bud Freeman, Peanuts Hucko, Ralph Sutton, Eddie Miller, George Van Eps, Milt Hinton, Dick Wellstood, Maxine Sullivan, Dick Cary, Vic Dickenson, Jack Lesberg, Art Hodes, Doc Cheatham, Turk Murphy, Bob Helm, Wally Rose, Bill Napier, Burt Bales, Ellis Horne, "Papa Ray" Ronnei, Percy and Willie Humphrey, Ed "Montudie" Garland, Alton Purnell, Andy Blakeney, Frank Chace, Bob Havens, Pete Fountain, George Probert, Pat Yankee, Kenny Davern, Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna, Dick Hyman, Eddie Higgins, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jon-Erik Kellso, Dan Barrett, Howard Alden, Jim Galloway, John Sheridan, Randy Reinhart, Allan Vache', John Coccuzi, Ken Peplowski and Ed Polcer.

His band credits include the Butch Thompson Trio, Dukes of Dixieland, Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band, South Frisco Jazz Band, Davern-Wilber Summit Reunion, Marty Grosz's Orphan Newsboys, Original Salty Dogs, Hall Brothers Jazz Band, Dixieland Rhythm Kings, Silver Leaf Jazz Band, West End Jazz Band, Magnolia Jazz Band, Golden State Jazz Band, Chicago Rhythm, Waldo's Gutbucket Syncopators, Golden Eagle Jazz Band and more.

Other bands that Hal has worked with during the last few years include the Yerba Buena Stompers, Bob Schulz's Frisco Jazz Band, New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Tim Laughlin/Connie Jones and the New Orleans All-Stars, Ray Skjelbred and his Cubs, Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band, Rebecca Kilgore and Friends, occasional appearances with Banu Gibson and New Orleans Hot Jazz, Climax Jazz Band, Chicago Six, Grand Dominion Jazz Band, Jonathan Stout and the Campus Five, Titanic Jazz Band and Sue Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra. In addition, Hal has played blues (James Harman, Nathan James, Ben Hernandez, Billy Watson, Robin Henkel, Blue Largo), Country & Western (Big Rig Deluxe, Working Cowboy Band), Western Swing (Hi-Lo Playboys) and Rockabilly (Cash Kings, Hot Rod Lincoln, Gino and the Lone Gunmen).

Hal's own bands have included the Roadrunners (with Bobby Gordon and Rebecca Kilgore), Hal's Angels, the Jazz Chihuahuas, the Hayriders (Rockabilly), the International Sextet, New El Dorado Jazz Band, Down Home Jazz Band and the Frisco Syncopators.

In December, 2012, Hal rejoined the Jim Cullum Jazz Band in San Antonio, Texas after two previous stints with the band. The JCJB performs regularly at Tucker's Kozy Korner, Bohanan's Prime Steaks and Seafood and the Boardwalk Bistro in San Antonio and also tours across the U.S. Its previously-recorded "Riverwalk Jazz" broadcasts are available on streaming audio from Stanford University.

Hal plays at Jazz Festivals with Bob Schulz's Frisco Jazz Band, Ray Skjelbred and his Cubs and Dave Bennett and the Memphis Boys (a Rockabilly group). Occasionally, Hal also plays with the Austin, Texas-based Thrift Set Orchestra.

Hal has made over 200 recordings, and has appeared on broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Riverwalk Jazz." He is heard on the soundtrack of Ken Burns' Jazz. He is seen with Chris Tyle's Silver Leaf Jazz Band on PBS' "Newton's Apple" and with Rebecca Kilgore, Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna, Dan Barrett, Kenny Davern, Bucky Pizzarelli and others on the PBS "Club Date" television series.

Hal plays GRETSCH drums and SABIAN cymbals, though occasionally he includes vintage cymbals owned by Minor "Ram" Hall, Wayne Jones and Bob Kornacher in his setup, plus a WUHAN Chinese cymbal purchased in 1978. He uses LUDWIG 4A "Ray Bauduc" model drumsticks and REGAL TIP "throw" brushes.

Besides his drumming activities, Hal is an accomplished writer, whose articles and reviews have been published in the Mississippi Rag, American Rag, Jazz Rambler, Just Jazz (U.K.), the Bulletin of the Hot Club of France and as reprints in jazz publications across the U.S. Hal has served as President of America's Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society (San Diego, California) and also as a Board Member, with the Festival Steering Committee and as the drum instructor at AFCDJS' annual Adult Jazz Camp. As of this writing he is the Artistic Director of the San Diego Jazz Fest.

A detailed discography of Hal Smith is available from Gerard Bielderman - Leie 18, 8032 ZG Zwolle, Netherlands. [email protected].
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