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Monday, January 9, 2006; B06
Mike Smith, 59, a drummer
who for 40 years accompanied many leading jazz
and pop musicians in Washington and around the
world, died of prostate cancer Jan. 2 at his home
in Silver Spring.
Mr. Smith settled in
Washington in the mid-1960s and soon worked with
pianist Bobby Timmons at the city's then-premier
jazz venue, the Bohemian Caverns.
"Smitty is just amazing,"
the club's owner, Tony Taylor, said later in an
interview with Washingtonian magazine. "I never
heard a young cat with that kind of maturity and
swing."
Mr. Smith's inventive
approach to drumming allowed him to depart from
strict time-keeping without losing the music's
basic form. In 1967, less than two years after
his arrival here, he was hired by Roberta Flack,
with whom he toured for four years as the singer
rose to stardom.
Mr. Smith described himself
as "the ultimate sideman." His musical rsum included
such well-known figures as Randy Brecker, John
Abercrombie, Billy Eckstein, Astrud Gilberto,
Freddie Hubbard, Herb Ellis, Leni Stern, Bobby
Scott and Milt Jackson.
He performed with
the Eddie Henderson Quintet and accompanied singer-pianist
Mose Allison from 1984 to 1990. Mr. Smith frequently
toured Europe and appeared with Adam Mackowicz
at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1985 and 1987.
He also recorded and toured with pianist Steve
Kuhn and saxophonist Dave Liebman.
Locally,
he performed with dozens of musicians, including
the late Keter Betts. He recorded extensively
in a variety of settings and continued to perform
until weeks before his death.
Mr. Smith
was born in Meadville, Pa., and was introduced
to jazz by his father, who had a large record
collection.
He studied with a local
drummer, Cootie Harris, and was visiting jam sessions
with his older brother, a guitarist, when he was
12. He was performing professionally by age 14.
He studied music at Youngstown State University
in Ohio and at Howard University.
His marriage to Sharon
Hoefler ended in divorce.
Survivors include three
brothers, John M. Smith of Franklin, Pa., Thomas
P. Smith of Hyattsville and Timothy Smith of Silver
Spring.
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