Legendary Guitarist Johnny Smith has died.

[sidewinder]

Obituary in today's Grauniad

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jun/16/johnny-smith

[AllenLowe]

I heard a rumor (seriously) years ago that he was part African American. I found this of interest.

love his playing, btw; the very first jazz record I ever heard was one of his Roosts that my mother owned.

[sgcim]

I heard a rumor (seriously) years ago that he was part African American. I found this of interest.

love his playing, btw; the very first jazz record I ever heard was one of his Roosts that my mother owned.

That would be pretty strange if it were true.

A British guitarist is writing a bio of Smith that should be coming out pretty soon; maybe he'll go into it...

[robertoart]

I heard a rumor (seriously) years ago that he was part African American. I found this of interest.

love his playing, btw; the very first jazz record I ever heard was one of his Roosts that my mother owned.

Well if it was way back in the past and he was acculturized White, it's probably a moot point. Did he grow up poor?

Then again, I always took the 'Jimi Hendrix was Native American' stuff with a grain of salt, until I read his people actually maintained connections to their NA family, and JImi spent a small amount of time with them on a reservation. So you never know, until you get more of the big picture.

Wasn't a very 'Bluesy' guitarist was Johnny Smith, was he

[mjzee]

I heard a rumor (seriously) years ago that he was part African American. I found this of interest.

love his playing, btw; the very first jazz record I ever heard was one of his Roosts that my mother owned.

Well if it was way back in the past and he was acculturized White, it's probably a moot point. Did he grow up poor?

Then again, I always took the 'Jimi Hendrix was Native American' stuff with a grain of salt, until I read his people actually maintained connections to their NA family, and JImi spent a small amount of time with them on a reservation. So you never know, until you get more of the big picture.

Wasn't a very 'Bluesy' guitarist was Johnny Smith, was he

It looks like he did grow up poor. From the Guardian obit (also see post #14 above):

Smith was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and after several family moves in search of work, grew up in Portland, Maine – the Depression having closed the Alabama foundry where his father had worked. As a boy, he listened to his father playing the banjo with friends, taught himself to play the viola and violin and practised on guitars in the local pawnshops in exchange for keeping the hocked instruments in tune. By 13, he was teaching adults the guitar, playing for money in a hillbilly band called Uncle Lem and the Mountain Boys, and learning jazz techniques by listening to the 1930s guitar stars Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian on the radio.

[Bol]

A very nice one:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/19/arts/music/johnny-smith-guitarist-and-songwriter-dies-at-90.html?ref=arts

He seems to have been a very fortunate man.

[bluesoul]

Nice piece from the Denver Post:

http://www.denverpost.com/music/ci_23555080/remembering-jazz-great-johnny-smith-colorado-springs

Edited July 1, 2013 by bluesoul

[RiRiIII]

Playin' cd #2 from the Mosaic set. What a marvelous player musician. RIP.

[sgcim]

I've noticed that Phil Schaap and WKCR haven't played any JS. Could the reasons for this be:

1) He wasn't black?

2) He didn't play free jazz?

3) He didn't have any self-destructive "habits" which endeared him to a hipster audience?

4) He wasn't black?

[robertoart]

I wonder if Johnny Smith would have thought that?