(Albert Alan Smith)
(3CD)
BIOGRAPHY
Al Smith was born Albert Alan Smith on May 10, 1936, in Columbus, Ohio.
He was an orphan since childhood. When he was 10, he moved from Columbus
to New Orleans and remained there until the he was 17. For the next seven
years in New Orleans, he learned to sing the gospel and play the piano. He
even decided to become a priest, though never followed his wish.
(People
Smith left New Orleans and moved to new foster parents in North Carolina,
where he attended Lutheran College and Seminary.
In 1955, he relocated to New York and performed in various gospel choirs
in New York and New Jersey. He sang in choirs for several years, and then
went on tour in the United States as part of Newark, New Jersey-based
musical group Gospel Clefs.
Around that time, during a jam session at the Key Club in Newark, New
Jersey, Smith caught the attention of tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw"
Davis, who invited him to join his band for a performance in
Washington.
In 1959, when Smith was 23, he released his debut album Hear My Blues on
Bluesville Records (a subsidiary of Prestige) with bassist Wendell
Marshall, drummer Arthur Edgehill, organist Shirley Scott, and saxophonist
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. The album was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's famous
recording studio Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Alex
Henderson of AllMusic reviewer commented: "Both of Smith's Bluesville
albums are well worth owning, but if you had to pick one of the two, Hear
My Blues would be the best starting point".
In 1961, Smith released a jazz/blues album named Midnight Special (also
on Bluesville.) The album featured bassist Leonard Gaskin, drummer Bobby
Donaldson, guitarist Jimmy Lee, organist Robert Banks, and tenor
saxophonist King Curtis .
In 1964, Smith's debut album, Hear My Blues, was reissued as Blues Shout!
under Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis's name on Prestige. On the album were Davis
and organist Shirley Scott, along with bassist Wendell Marshall and
drummer Arthur Edgehill.
In 1983, Smith's performed Jimmy Reed's "Meet Me" on Rainer Baumann's
album Adoring Jimmy Reed.
(Peoplepill.com)