The Swing Violin of Stuff Smith

Stuff Smith

Source:  Rocker Stomp

Born on 14 August 1909 in Portsmouth, Ohio, Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith was a vocalist and swing violinist who is thought to have been the first to use an electrically amplified fiddle. He picked up the nickname "Stuff" about the time he began his professional career as a result of using "Stuff" when he forgot someone's name. Much influenced by Louis Armstrong as a youth, he began his career at age fifteen with the traveling minstrel show, the Aunt Jemima Review, before hooking up with Alphonso Trent the same year in Dallas. Remaining with Trent for four years, he also performed briefly with Jelly Roll Morton during that period which Jazz Profiles dates by the time he turned age twenty in 1929. Tom Lord picks up Smith as early as 11 October 1928 with Trent and his Orchestra, that the initial of three early sessions with Trent for Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana, yielding 'Louder and Funnier' with 'Gilded Kisses' (Gennett 6664). Lord next finds Smith on unissued tracks with Zach Whyte on 12 November of 1931 also for Gennett: 'Alabama Home', 'Rock Me in the Cradle of Love' and 'Goodnight Sweetheart'.

Piano: Alphonso Trent   Violin / vocal: Stuff Smith

Banjo: Eugene Crooke   Tuba: Robert "Eppie" Jackson

Drums: A.G. Godley

Music: Turner Layton   Lyrics: Henry Creamer   1918

Smith had based operations in Buffalo, New York, where he married Arlene Smith in 1930 [Encyclopedia]. He there put together a band including major partner throughout the thirties into the forties, trumpeter, Jonah Jones. Smith and Jones took their mutually honed talents to New York City in 1935 to perform at the Onyx Club on 52nd Street. Smith's first session with his Onyx Club Boys on January 17, 1936, went unreleased by Vocalion, but a session on February 11 yielded 'I'se a Muggin' (Vocalion 3169), 'I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music' (Vocalion 3170) and 'I'm Puttin' All My Eggs in One Basket' (Vocalion 3170). "I'se a Muggin'" might be translated as 'I'se a Jivin'" or "I'se a Smokin'" (marijuana) [Dance Forums].

Piano: Raymond Smith   Violin / vocal: Stuff Smith

Guitar: Bobby Bennett   Upright bass: Mack Walker

Drums: John Washington

Composition: Stuff Smith

Smith began making his mark when on 23 February 1936 he and His Onyx Club Boys appeared on the 'Paul Whiteman Show' radio broadcast by WJZ in New York City, performing 'I'm a Ding Dong Daddy' and 'I'se a Muggin'. Whiteman further put together a swing ensemble drawn from his orchestra called the Teagarden Boys & the Trumbauer Swing Band to record 'I'se a Muggin' on 10 March 1936, issued on Victor 25273. That featured Charley Teagarden on trumpet and Jack Teagarden on trombone with saxophones by Frank Trumbauer and Bud Freeman. Three days later Smith and his Onyx Club Boys put away ''You'se a Viper' issued on Vocalion 3201. "You'se a Viper" translates to "You'se a Smoker" (of cannabis). "Mighty Mezz, but not too strong" in the lyrics refers to clarinetist, Mezz Mezzrow, well-known in jazz circles to be a marijuana dealer.

Piano: James Sherman   Violin / vocal: Stuff Smith

Guitar: Bobby Bennett   Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Stuff Smith

Piano: James Sherman   Violin / vocal: Stuff Smith

Guitar: Bobby Bennett   Upright bass: Mack Walker   Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Stuff Smith / Jack Palmer

Among dates to follow were numerous transcribed broadcasts by Radio WMCA from the Biltmore Hotel in NYC in January and February of 1937. On May 4 of 1937 Smith and His Onyx Club Boys documented 'Onyx Club Spree' / 'Twilight in Turkey' (Decca 1279) and 'Where Is the Sun?' / 'Upstairs' (Decca 1287). Smith largely recorded with his own ensembles through the forties, but also supported Red Norvo, Lucky Thompson and Ben Webster. 'Deep Purple' below was recorded by Sun Ra (Sonny Blount) on his first recording machine at his apartment at 5414 South Prairie Avenue in Chicago. Discogs and Wikipedia lend a date of circa 1953 but Robert Campbell has narrowed it down to 29 July 1948. See also ilxor and Steve Hoffman Music Forums. Later in 1951 Kress scratched tracks with Dizzy Gillespie, again in 1957.

Piano: Jimmy Jones   Upright bass: John Levy

Composition: Stuff Smith

Piano: Jimmy Jones   Upright bass: John Levy

Composition: Stuff Smith

Piano: Jimmy Jones   Upright bass: John Levy

Composition: Stuff Smith

Piano: Jimmy Jones   Upright bass: John Levy

Composition: Stuff Smith

Piano: Wynton Kelly   Violin: Stuff Smith

Upright bass: Paul West   Drums: J.C. Heard

Vocals: The Gordon Family:

Honi Gordon / Richard Gordon / George Gordon Jr. / George Gordon Sr.

Smith left the United States to live in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1965. Completing well above 100 recording sessions during his career, he is thought to have made his last on March 3 and 4 of 1967 in Villingen, Germany, toward the album, 'Black Violin'.

Piano: Kenny Drew   Violin: Stuff Smith

Upright bass: NHØP (Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen)   Drums: Alex Riel

Piano: Otto Weiss   Upright bass: Peter Witte   Drums: Charly Antolini

Composition: Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern

Smith died not yet sixty years old on 25 September 1967 in Munich.

Audio of Smith: Internet Archive

Compositions: All Music

Smith in Film / Television: Anthony Barnett   IMDb

Recordings: Catalogs:

45 Worlds   Anthony Barnett   Discogs

Music Brainz   RYM   SHS

Recordings: Compilations:

Chronological Classics: #706 1936-39 / #1054 1939-44 / #1081 1944-46

The Complete 1936-1937 Sessions (HEP Records / 2007)

The Complete Verve Stuff Smith Sessions (1956-59 by Mosaic / 1999)

Time and Again  (1936-45 on Proper PVCD 118 / 2003): All Music   Discogs

Recordings: Sessions:

DAHR (Stuff Smith 1928-53)

DAHR (Stuff Smith Trio 1943)

Tom Lord: leading 90 of 132 sessions 1928-67

Repertoire:

After You've Gone (Turner Layton / Henry Creamer / 1918)

Further Reading:

David Schulman (Chasing the Sound of Stuff Smith 2018)

David Schulman (How Stuff Smith's Favorite Violin Came Back to D.C. 2019)