Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith - The World’s Most Recorded Bassoon Soloist, Dies at 77

Daniel Smith, who was one of the few bassoonists recording and performing in both Jazz and Classical music, described as the “Gerry Mulligan of The Bassoon”, in the world of Jazz and the “Rampal of The Bassoon” in classical music, dies at 77 on December 19, 2015  in Brooklyn, NY.  The cause of death was an aggressive infection that led to cardiac arrest.  His daughter Jacqueline Smith confirmed his death.

Bronx-born Daniel Smith studied music at Manhattan School of Music, Columbia University and The Mannes College of Music.  Joining the US Army, he was a member of the West Point Academy Big Band.  During his early twenties he played the saxophone with several Big Bands including The Cab Calloway Orchestra and others.

As a teenager, Smith and his friends traveled from The Bronx to attend many jazz shows on New York’s famed 52nd Street, in clubs such as Kelly's Stables, Leon & Eddie's, The Famous Door and Jimmy Ryan'st and others where he heard all the great performers such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton and others.

Smith has recorded numerous discs, with repertoire ranging from Baroque concerti to contemporary music, including jazz with a quartet under his own leadership, ragtime, and crossover.

Daniel Smith is the first bassoonist to have recorded all 37 Vivaldi bassoon concertos, in recordings made with the English Chamber Orchestra and I Solisti di Zagreb. Smith has also recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Caravaggio Ensemble.

Smith is also noted for his support of the creation of new concerti for his chosen instrument. He gave the United States West Coast premiere of Gunther Schuller's Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra. Daniel Smith has performed solo recitals at New York's Lincoln Center and Carnegie Recital Hall, Wigmore Hall, the BBC Concert Hall, and the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen.

His 3-CD box set of 37 Vivaldi Concerts was recently re-released by the label Deustch Gramophone/Decca in England and is a very sought out item in their catalog which features top performers of the classical genre. 

A well-spoken jovial world traveler and lover of good conversation, Daniel Smith married Judith Shipman in 1961; she died in 2013.  He is survived by son Robert Smith and daughter Jacqueline Smith and four grandchildren.   

Among his latest projects, “Big Band Bassoon” a project he was currently working on with pianist/arranger Robert Boscher from Holland, an updated serving of  his favorite Big Band numbers with his trademark bassoon solos and exquisite arrangements.  His latest release on the label Summit “Jazz Suite for Bassoon” won critical acclaim by music media. It features an original composition of the same name by British composer Steve Gray.  A two-disc “The Best of” was in the works for the label Decca in U.K.  A concert was planned for this spring in England with an orchestra.  In addition Mr. Smith was working on an orchestral piece with the Brazilian composer João McDowell to be premiered in Brazil in the near future.   

His memory and friendship is cherished by family, close friends, numerous jazz and classical musicians and sidemen as well as collaborators, and his music offerings will live forever.

A Memorial concert to celebrate his life in music will be held in 2016.

From: Jazz Promo Services
Contact: Jim Eigo jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

Daniel Smith is the most recorded bassoon soloist....

With his many critically acclaimed award-winning recordings and live performances, Daniel Smith is the most recorded bassoon soloist in the world, with a repertoire spanning music from jazz to classical and crossover. As the only bassoonist performing and recording in both jazz and classical, his unique career has been profiled in numerous publications throughout the world; described by critics as the 'Gerry Mulligan of the Bassoon' in the world of jazz and the 'Rampal of the Bassoon' in the world of classical music.

In the world of classical music, Daniel Smith's historic box set of the complete 37 Vivaldi bassoon concertos was chosen as 'Best Concerto Recording of the Year' by the Music Industry Association.

His highly acclaimed jazz albums Bebop Bassoon and The Swingin' Bassoon (Zah Zah) were followed by Blue Bassoon and Bassoon Goes Latin Jazz! (Summit). Other recordings of Daniel Smith can be found on Vox, MHS, KemDisc, Pearl, Spectrum, Cambria, Regis, Crystal and Forum.

Noteworthy performances include premieres of Gunther Schuller's 'Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra', Steve Gray's 'Jazz Suite for Bassoon and Orchestra' and Robert Farnon's jazz-oriented 'Bassoon Concerto'. Smith has presented solo concerts at New York's Lincoln Center and the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen. His many recordings are heard throughout the world on jazz and classical radio stations, National Public Radio in the USA and on major airlines for in-flight listening. Daniel is also featured with leading book and record clubs and the Muzak network.

Daniel Smith was voted a 'Rising Star' by the Downbeat critics poll and nominated twice by the Jazz Journalists Association as finalist for their 'Player of the Year' award in the category of 'Instruments Rare in Jazz'. He had earlier been chosen as 'Ambassador for the Bassoon' in Great Britain.

Recent performances with his jazz quartet 'Bassoon and Beyond' include appearances in NYC at Puppets Jazz Club, Caffe Vivaldi, The Tea Lounge, The Kitano Jazz Club, the Brooklyn Conservatory Concert Hall and at Barge Music. Others were in Washington, DC at Twins Jazz Club and in Germany to a capacity audience at the Summerwinds Festival.

In 2012, Universal Music will be re-releasing his classical and crossover albums on digital for downloading on the Internet. Daniel Smith will also premiere Brazilian composer Joao MacDowell's 'Brazilian Jazz Concerto for Bassoon and Chamber Orchestra'.

Daniel Smith, the leading pioneer of the bassoon....

“...the Rampal or André of the bassoon...Daniel Smith is a phenomenon!” - MUSICAL HERITAGE REVIEW
“At last! The bassoon enters into the world of jazz...for real.” - JAMEY AEBERSOLD
“...A first rate bassoonist who particularly relishes the lyric possibilities of his instrument.” - NEW YORK TIMES
“Daniel Smith shows that the bassoon can not only make convincing jazz but that it can make sounds of great beauty too. Go and hear him! This is a unique voice in jazz.” - Dick Laurie, HOT NEWS
“Congratulations to (Daniel) Smith are in order for achieving what no other bassoonist has yet attempted on disc...” - GRAMOPHONE
“...virtuoso Daniel Smith shows that he can make the bassoon dance like Gerry Mulligan's baritone sax.” - Jack Massarik, EVENING STANDARD
“This is enjoyably spontaneous music making.”- PENGUIN GUIDE
“His plaintive sound and deep doleful tone bring a new dimension to many of the classic modern jazz compositions.” - Keith Howell, JAZZ EXPRESS

Biography:
The leading pioneer of the bassoon with his many critically acclaimed award-winning recordings and live performances. As the most recorded bassoon soloist in the world, his repertoire spans music ranging from Baroque concerti to contemporary music including jazz, ragtime and crossover. He is the only bassoonist performing and recording in both the jazz and classical fields. Daniel Smith's unique career has been profiled in Gramophone, the New York Times, Fanfare, Classical Music, Musical Heritage Review, American Record Guide, Classic CD and many leading European publications including The Times in England. In the USA, his career was highlighted on PBS's "All Things Considered'. In the UK, one of his recordings was the 'signature tune' for BBC radio 3 while BBC radio 4 recently showcased his career.

Daniel Smith's performances include jazz with his quartet 'Bassoon and Beyond', classical recitals with piano, concertos with orchestra, and highly popular programs divided between classical and jazz, with music ranging from Vivaldi, Elgar, Mozart and Verdi to Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie. Described as a 'phenomenon', he has been called the 'Gerry Mulligan of the Bassoon' in the world of jazz and the 'Galway' and 'Rampal of the Bassoon' in the world of classical music, bringing his unique sound and style to concert series, festivals and jazz clubs.

His historic and unprecedented 6 CD set on ASV of the complete 37 Vivaldi bassoon concertos was chosen as 'Best Concerto Recording of the Year' by the Music Industry Association and awarded the Penguin Guide's coveted *** rosette rating as well as inclusion in Fanfare's annual 'Want List'. These concertos, recorded with The English Chamber Orchestra and I Solisti di Zagreb, firmly established Daniel Smith as a leading soloist on his instrument. His recordings with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Caravaggio Ensemble for the ASV White Line label produced innovate crossover albums, with unique renditions of ragtime pieces, opera excerpts, and popular standards. In the world of jazz, his albums on the Zah Zah label, 'BEBOP BASSOON' and 'THE SWINGING BASSOON' showcase the music of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and many other legendary jazz artists. Other recordings of Daniel Smith are available on Vox, MHS, KemDisc, Pearl, Spectrum, Cambria, Regis, Crystal and Forum labels.

His performances have included many firsts: The American West Coast premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gunther Schuller's 'Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra'; the world premiere of Steve Gray's 'Jazz Suite For Bassoon' with the Welsh Chamber Orchestra; solo concerts at New York's Lincoln Center and the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, and also five appearances at London's 'Pizza On The Park' with his jazz quartet. Other major venues where he has performed include New York's Carnegie Recital Hall (two appearances) and the Merkin Concert Hall. In London, the Wigmore Hall (three times), St.John's Smith Square, and the BBC Concert Hall. His many recordings are heard throughout the world on classical and jazz radio stations, National Public Radio in the USA, major airlines for in-flight listening, and featured with leading book and record clubs as well as the Muzak network.
In 2003, Daniel Smith was designated as 'Ambassador for the Bassoon' by Youth Music in the UK.
In 2005, legendary composer/arranger ROBERT FARNON dedicated his final composition to Daniel Smith. Entitled 'Romancing the Phoenix', this three movement bassoon concerto for solo amplified bassoon with rhythm section and full symphony orchestra in a jazz oriented style with symphonic overtones was written specifically with Daniel in mind. Warner Chappell recently published the score and parts with Robert Farnon's dedication to 'The American virtuoso Daniel Smith' on the title page. World-wide premieres of this exciting and innovative piece by one of the 20th Century's greatest composer/arrangers will be announced shortly.

Breaking News:
• Daniel Smith's 'Blue Bassoon' has been signed up by Summit Records for a January 2010 world-wide release. Summit Records has major jazz artists such as the Count Basie band, Eddie Daniels and Randy Brecker, on its artists roster. Look for more updates on this important and exciting development in the next weeks.
• Puppets Jazz Bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn will have Daniel Smith's quartet 'Bassoon and Beyond' performing on a regularly monthly basis starting this month. The first appearance will be on July 16th with three sets at 9.00, 10:30 and at midnight. Further information can be found on the Puppets Jazz Bar website.
http://www.danielsmithbassoon.com/

At Caffé Vivaldi