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Putter Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Putter Smith
Smith in 1971
Background information
Birth namePatrick Verne Smith
Born (1941-01-19) January 19, 1941 (age 83)
Bell, California, U.S.
GenresJazz, cool jazz, bebop
Occupation(s)Musician, music teacher, author, actor
InstrumentDouble bass
Years active1960s–present
Websiteputtersmithmusic.com

Patrick Verne "Putter" Smith (born January 19, 1941) is an American jazz bassist, music teacher, author, and actor.

Early life

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Smith was born in Bell, California, near Los Angeles,[1] and began playing the bass at the age of eight, inspired by his older brother, jazz musician Carson Smith.[2] He made his performing debut aged 13 at the Compton Community Center.[3]

Career

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He went on to perform with Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Diane Schuur, Lee Konitz, Bruce Forman, Jackie and Roy, Carmen McRae, Gary Foster, Art Farmer, Blue Mitchell, Erroll Garner, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Alan Broadbent, Bob Brookmeyer, Warne Marsh, Ray Charles, Patrice Rushen, Jorge Rossy, Jimmy Wormworth, Mason Williams, Percy Faith, Burt Bacharach, The Manhattan Transfer, and Johnny Mathis.[2] He works as a session musician, and has played on recordings by Beck, Smokey Hormel, Sonny and Cher, The Beach Boys, and The Righteous Brothers, among many others.[2]

Smith taught at the Musician's Institute,[1] and at the California Institute of the Arts.[4]

Smith was playing with Monk at the Los Angeles jazz club Shelly's Manne-Hole when he was spotted by director Guy Hamilton, who cast him as the assassin Mr. Kidd (alongside Bruce Glover as Mr. Wint) in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.[2][3] He went on to have several other minor acting roles on film and television.[5]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Smith, Putter (Patrick Verne)". Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians. 2013. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "Putter Smith: Jazz Wolverine". All About Jazz. May 12, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Duersten, Matthew (May 9, 2007). "Putter Smith". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  4. ^ "Putter Smith". puttersmith.net. 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Putter Smith". IMDb.com. 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
[edit]
  1. ^ Smith, Putter (March 2021). "Putter Smith Music". Putter Smith Music.