Hal Smith

Hal grew up in California, where he listened to live traditional jazz played by the Firehouse Five Plus Two, Turk Murphy’s San Francisco Jazz Band, Bay City Jazz Band and the South Frisco Jazz Band. He took up drums in 1963, influenced by hearing Ben Pollack, Nick Fatool and Fred Higuera in person. He was also inspired by virtuoso washboardist Bob Raggio. While living in California, Hal played with the South Frisco Jazz Band as well as Turk Murphy, Bob Helm, Wally Rose, Burt Bales and other icons of the Jazz Revival.

Over the years, Hal formed a close friendship with renowned traditional jazz drummer Wayne Jones – who became an important influence on Hal. In addition, Hal studied recordings by Zutty Singleton, Baby Dodds, Sid Catlett, Dave Tough, Ray Bauduc and 1920s drum heroes Vic Berton, Stan King, Harry Dial, Andrew Hilaire and others.

Starting in 1978 Hal worked with many of the best traditional jazz and swing bands in the U.S., including the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, Butch Thompson Trio, New Black Eagles, Climax Jazz Band, Grand Dominion Jazz Band, Soprano Summit, Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band, Yerba Buena Stompers, Hall Brothers Jazz Band, Jonathan Stout’s Campus Five, Michael Gamble’s Rhythm Serenaders, the Carl Sonny Leyland Trio and more. In addition, Hal has performed with nationally-recognized Swing, Western Swing, Rockabilly and Blues groups.

At present, Hal leads the El Dorado Jazz Band (Traditional New Orleans Jazz via Southern California), the Mortonia Seven (the music of Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton), On The Levee Jazz Band (the music of Kid Ory), San Francisco Jazz All-Stars (the music of Turk Murphy) and the New Orleans Night Owls (1920s hot jazz and ragtime). Hal also travels across the country to play frequent engagements with Banu Gibson, Kris Tokarski, Tim Laughlin and Miss Jubilee and the Yas Yas Boys.

Hal is one of the founders of the San Diego Trad Jazz Camp for Adults. Currently he is on the faculty of the New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp, leading student ensembles, offering drum instruction and lecturing on jazz history. Recently he became a Board Member of the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society and is the Band Advisor for the Bix Jazz Festival.

Besides leading bands, working as a sideman and teaching jazz history, Hal is a contributing writer for The Syncopated Times, Just Jazz (U.K.) and the Bulletin of the Hot Club of France. He is one of the editors of the recently released autobiography of Firehouse Five Plus Two/Bob Wills cornetist Danny Alguire: “Dust Bowl to Disney.”

Hal Smith may be heard on over 200 recording sessions; broadcasts of “A Prairie Home Companion,” “Riverwalk – Live From The Landing” and “Now You Has Jazz, Jazz, Jazz” as well as numerous YouTube video programs hosted by Loren Schoenberg, John Petters, April DeShields and others.

Website: www.halsmithmusic.com