Panamanian Flutist Mauricio Smith Dies

Mauricio Smith emerged briefly as a solo star in the mid- to late '60s after a long association with Vincentico Valdes, the La Plata Sextet, Joe Valle, and the Joe Cuba Sextet. The son of a flautist who played with the Panama Symphony, he studied at Panama City's National Conservatory of Music, and became a fixture on television and in nightclubs in South and Central America, Puerto Rico, Miami, and New York.

Smith has worked and recorded with such Latin luminaries as Machito, Cesar Concepcion, Mongo Santamaria, and Tito Puente. He has also performed and recorded with Clark Terry, Charlie Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Chubby Checker, Eartha Kitt, Harry Belafonte, and others. Smith has performed on Broadway in the orchestras of “No, No, Nanette," “Doctor Jazz," “The First," “Raisin," “The Natalie Cole Show" and “Purlie."

In New York, Smith was an original member of the NBC “Saturday Night Live" band and was the leader of the Latin band at the Rainbow Room for six years. He has scored music for movies, and wrote arrangements for Tito Puente and others. In addition to his jazz performances, Smith has performed classically as a flutist and soloist with the Puerto Rican Symphony and has given recitals at Avery Fisher Hall.

Smith