[Dixielandjazz] Paul Smith

[Haupt Dave]

I always found it fascinating how many people had never heard of Paul Smith.  But when he was in one of Dick Gibson's bands, everybody else in the band looked to him as the leader.

I had the great pleasure of ferrying him from the Denver International Airport to his hotel, must have been circa 1997-1998, for one of the Summit Jazz All-Star concerts.  He spoke with evident pleasure at having worked with not just Ella, but also Sammy Davis Jr. whom he called his favorite of the singers he'd worked with.

I asked him if he had an opinion of the decline of the popularity of jazz, and his response was fascinating.  There were several opinions present.  First off, he said, jazz has always been a word used to indicate somehow a music that the general populace found sort of elite.  I have never called myself a jazz pianist.  Steve Allen and I do a do thing called Ferrari and Tiger and we call ourselves World Class pianists.  We don't focus on jazz charts but instead, take songs that are better known.  Theme songs from Broadway musicals, last year's top 10 hits, television theme songs.  Any jazz fan could hear us and clearly recognize that we were playing jazz, but we weren't sticking with typical jazz songs, we drew plenty of wonderful music out of songs that ninety percent of the public already knew.

Secondly, he said, when jazz moved to bebop, it forced the rise of rock and roll.  No matter what else is true about a popular music, it absolutely must be danceable, and most bebop is not.  Miles Davis made beautiful tonal music, but he did not make danceable music.  A musical style cannot survive in the popular realm if you can't dance to it.

My parents had come to visit me that weekend and were in the back seat.  They continue to tell me what a pleasure it had been to meet him and hear him play at the concert.

Rest In Peace, Paul.


Dave Haupt
DJML Asst Moderator
and piano plinker 7th class