Wednesday 24 August 2022

Buster Smith born 24 August 1904


Henry Franklin "Buster" Smith (August 24, 1904 – August 10, 1991), also known as Professor Smith, was an American jazz alto saxophonist and mentor to Charlie Parker. Smith was instrumental in instituting the Texas Sax Sound with Count Basie and Lester Young in the 1930s.

Smith played saxophone for a number of prominent band leaders including Duke Ellington and Earl Hines as well as vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. He recorded his only album as leader in 1959 and despite intending to record a follow-up, he was injured in an accident and nothing else was released.

Smith was born and raised in Alsdorf, Texas, a small township near Telico in the outskirts of Dallas, where he attended school as a child. Smith earned the name "Buster" from his parents as a baby, as he was born as an overweight child. Buster was the third of five boys and had no sisters, though both of his older brothers died in childhood of measles.

Smith's early musical influences were his mother, and his father, who played guitar. At the age of four years, Buster was playing the organ with his brother, pianist Boston Smith; Buster played the keys and Boston stepped on the pedals. Soon thereafter, his grandfather gave away the family organ because he believed it would only direct Buster to a life of sin.

Theo Ross, Lester Young & Buster

In 1919, Smith picked cotton for a week to earn the money to buy a $3.50 clarinet. Smith learned to play several instruments by the time he was eighteen years old. In 1922, Smith and his family moved to Dallas. He joined the Voodie White Trio, playing Alto saxophone and clarinet. In 1923, he began his professional music career playing alto saxophone with the medicine shows, though he had to play very loudly to draw in more customers. This experience led to Smith defining his own musical style, known for being loud. The time with the medicine shows also led to Oran "Hot Lips" Page inviting Smith to join his group, the Oklahoma City Blue Devils, in 1925. Over the next few years, Smith wrote much of the group's music, learning from banjo player Johnny Clark, writing lyrics with co-workers from the bank that he worked in.

When Smith joined the Blue Devils, the line-up consisted of Walter Page, Oran Page, Lester Young, Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing, and Emir "Bucket" Coleman. They toured the Kansas City area and the Midwest, playing jazz for a year, bringing all of its members into prominence. Basie and Page both left the group; however Smith decided to stay on, though this was very short lived and soon after he left also. After leaving the group, he and Basie formed the Buster Smith-Count Basie Band of Rhythm, where the two innovated a louder style of Jazz.


                             

Buster's contribution to the unique sound was by using a tenor saxophone reed in his alto saxophone to achieve a louder, "fatter" sound. Lester Young also joined the band and, to complement Smith's louder sound, he also opted for a harder reed, using a baritone saxophone reed on his tenor saxophone. This sound was later labelled the Texas Sax Sound. Smith gained a great amount of influence in the Texan music community and industry. Smith mentored legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker during the 1930s, developing a "father-son relationship" through mentoring Parker.

Buster's Orchestra in the 1940's

In 1941, Smith decided to return to Dallas and to cease touring, though he remained active in the local music scene. In the following years, he wrote for jazz and blues bands, played often, and taught many young Texan musicians, including Aaron "T-Bone" Walker and Red Garland among others. He also performed session work with artists such as Pete Johnson's Boogie-Woogie Boys, Eddie Durham, Leo "Snub" Mosley, Bon and His Buddies, and the Don Redman Orchestra.

In 1959, Buster led his first solo recording session in Fort Worth, as prompted by Atlantic Records. From these sessions, released by Atlantic with the title The Legendary Buster Smith, Smith's notable songs included "Kansas City Riffs," "Buster's Tune," "E Flat Boogie," and Kurt Weill's "September Song." For the sessions, Buster enlisted his brother Boston Smith to play piano, along with musicians spanning his career to date.

In the 1960s, Smith was involved in an auto accident, in which he was badly injured and no longer able to play the saxophone. In order to continue playing music, he started to play the bass guitar throughout Dallas and continued to participate in the Dallas musical community. Buster led a dance music band until 1980, and played bass with his Heat Waves Of Swing  at local joints almost until his death in Dallas on August 10, 1991, of a heart attack.

(Edited from Wikipedia)

3 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “The Legendary Buster Smith (1960 Atlantic)” go here:

https://www.imagenetz.de/fJmEi

1 Buster's Tune 3:37
2 E Flat Boogie
3 September Song 3:53
4 King Alcohol 4:34
5 Kansas City Riffs 5:17
6 Late Late 7:42
7 Organ Grinder's Swing 6:35 OPTIONAL BONUS TRACKS
8 Crying In The Chapel (1953) 2:50
9 Leapin’ In Chicago (1953) 3:03
10 Til Broad Daylight (circa 80’s 90’s)

Performing musicians
Buster Cooper - baritone saxophone
Buster Smith - alto saxophone, guitar
Charles Gillum - trumpet
Clinton Smith - trombone
Leroy Cooper
Boston Smith - piano
Eddie Cadell - tenor saxophone
Herman Flowers
Josea Smith - bass
Robert Cobbs – drums

The Legendary Buster Smith is the debut and only solo album released by saxophonist Buster Smith, recorded and released in 1959. The album features five original compositions by Smith, alongside versions of "September Song" by Kurt Weill and "Organ Grinder's Swing" by Will Hudson.

I have added a few optional bonus tracks. Two sides of a 1953 single and a much later track of Buster & His Heat Waves of Swing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here’s a small selection of bands that Buster recorded with. They are mostly taken from 78’s so quality will vary.

For “Buster Smith - In Bands From 1929 – 1942 (2022 From The Vaults)” go here:

https://www.imagenetz.de/bXeyM

01) Walter Page's Blue Devils - Blue Devil Blues (1929)
02) Walter Page's Blue Devils - Squabblin
03) Count Basie - The Blues I Like To Hear (1938)
04) Don Redman - Chew-Chew-Chew (Your Bubble Gum) (1939)
05) Don Redman - Igloo
06) Don Redman - Baby Won't You Please Come Home
07) Don Redman - Ain't I Good To You
08) Pete Johnson - Cherry Red
09) Pete Johnson - Baby Look At You
10) Pete Johnson - Lovin' Mama Blues
11) Pete Johnson - Jump For Joy
12) Don Redman - You Ain't Nowhere (1940)
13) Don Redman - About Rip Van Winkle
14) Don Redman - Shim-Me-Sha-Wobble
15) Don Redman - Chant Of The Weed
16) Hot Lips Page - I Would Do Anything For You
17) Hot Lips Page - I Ain't Got Nobody
18) Hot Lips Page - A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid
19) Hot Lips Page - Gone With The Gin
20) Hot Lips Page - Walk It To Me
21) Hot Lips Page - I Won't Be Here Long
22) Harlan Leonard - Ride My Blues Away
23) Bon Bon - I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (1941)
24) Bon Bon - Sweet Mama
25) Snub Mosely - Blues At High Noon (1942)
26) Snub Mosley - Between You And The Devil

Bob Mac said...

Thanks for these Bob.

Anonymous said...

Terrific stuff Bob on this Buster Smith compilation; The sound quality is extremely good.
Keep up the good work. Rare and great. C. Clarke, Calgary, Alberta. Canada