ABOUT HAL

“I don't know what religion Hal Smith practices, and it would be rude of me to ask, but he works miracles when he plays. His rollicking beat makes any band sit up straight and play a thousand times better. He listens to his colleagues and doesn't overshadow them. Just hearing Hal play a four-bar hi-hat introduction is a treat. He's an old-fashioned musical drummer in the best contemporary way: he loves the many sounds he can get from his drum set and he generously shares them with us. I am sure that the ghosts of Dave Tough, George Wettling, Sidney Catlett, Zutty Singleton, and Baby Dodds, wherever they might be, feel cosmic pleasure when Hal Smith swings out. As do we!”

– Michael Steinman

Hal Smith took up drumming in 1963. He listened to classic jazz drummers such as Ben Pollack, Nick Fatool, Wayne Jones, and Fred Higuera in person and later took lessons from Jake Hanna. Hal has also been inspired by the recordings of Dave Tough, Big Sid Catlett, Zutty Singleton, Jo Jones, Vic Berton, Andrew Hillaire, Ray Bauduc, Gene Krupa, George Wettling, Kaiser Marshall, Stan King, Harry Dial, Minor Hall, Wally Bishop, Morey Feld and Johnny Wells. "Chicago Style Jazz" is his favorite type of music, but Hal also enjoys listening to and playing "New Orleans," "New York" and "Kansas City" styles.

He has played in many well-known jazz bands, such as the Dukes of Dixieland, Jim Cullum Jazz Band, New Black Eagle Jazz Band, South Frisco Jazz Band, Marty Grosz's Orphan Newsboys, Chicago Six, West End Jazz Band and the Butch Thompson Trio. He has played with Wild Bill Davison, Ralph Sutton, Doc Cheatham, Turk Murphy, Pete Fountain, George Probert, Kenny Davern, Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna and Dick Hyman, and with Western Swing, Rockabilly, Country and Western and Blues bands. Hal led the Roadrunners (with Bobby Gordon and Rebecca Kilgore), Hal’s Angels (with Anita Thomas and Katie Cavera) and has made over 200 recordings and has appeared on numerous television and radio broadcasts.

Currently, Hal plays with:

Bob Schulz and his Frisco Jazz Band

Albanie and her Fellas

Tim Laughlin, Connie Jones
and the New Orleans All-Stars

Swinging Strings

Hal plays a 1960s-vintage LUDWIG drum set, including a 1966 Ludwig "Jazz Festival" snare drum. He plays SABIAN cymbals, though occasionally he includes vintage cymbals owned by Minor "Ram" all, Wayne Jones and Bob Kornacher in his setup, plus a WUHAN Chinese cymbal purchased in 1978. He uses LUDWIG 4A "Ray Bauduc" model drumsticks and REGAL TIP "throw" brushes.

1966 Ludwig "Jazz Festival" Snare

Besides his drumming activities, Hal is an accomplished writer, whose articles and reviews have been published in the Mississippi Rag, American Rag, Jazz Rambler, Just Jazz (U.K.), the Bulletin of the Hot Club of France and as reprints in jazz publications across the U.S. Hal has served as President of America's Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society (San Diego, California) and also as a Board Member, with the Festival Steering Committee and as the drum instructor at AFCDJS' annual Adult Jazz Camp.

A detailed discography of Hal Smith is available from Gerard Bielderman - Leie 18, 8032 ZG Zwolle, Netherlands. gerard.bielderman@telfort.nl.

"When Hal Smith plays, the spirits of George Wettling, Zutty Singleton and Dave Tough smile. Rather than just sounding like his predecessors, Hal Smith plays like a creative drummer from 1936, uplifting music with taste, swing, class and subtle ideas. Whether it is small group swing, San Francisco jazz, 1920s classics or freewheeling Eddie Condon jazz, Hal Smith is the perfect drummer for each situation."

– Scott Yanow