Bill Smith/William O. Smith

Here's an awesome Bill Smith composition based on the blues from his record with Enrico Pieranunzi.

And another based on "Giant Steps" from the same record.

I have long wanted to make a blog post about one of my musical heroes, Bill Smith.  I first heard him playing with Dave Brubeck.  To many clarinetists who play contemporary classical music or "new" music, William O. Smith is pioneer at studying and using extended techniques in his compositions and improvisations.    

The words pioneer, artist and innovator are often tossed about lightly these days but I feel that Bill Smith is as true of an example of a pioneer, multi-faceted artist, virtuoso clarinetist, formidable composer, masterful teacher and generous human being as we have amongst us today.

Rather than attempt to explain all of the things that inspire me about Bill's music, I decided it would be best to let Bill speak for himself through his music.  I've compiled a playlist of what I'd consider to be a pretty fair sampling of Bill's compositions and clarinet playing since his early days in the late 1940's with the Dave Brubeck Octet to a jazz opera from 2008.  I've put some information about the recordings but it's mostly about the music.  


                           Here is a link to a recent discography

CLICK TO BUY

The outgrowth of a group of students at Mills College studying with Darius Milhaud, the Dave Brubeck Octet recorded Bill's "Schizophrenic Scherzo" in 1946

***************************************

              CLICK TO BUY

From a 1957 Red Norvo recording.  Bill's four movement "Divertimento" was a requst by producer Lester Koenig for longer music to take advantage of the new recording length that was available.
 

***************************************

           CLICK TO BUY


Concerto for Clarinet & Combo

This is another Lester Koenig request that resulted in Bill composing a 3 movement concerto for clarinet and 9 instruments.  Recorded in 1957 with Shelly Manne,  Bill's writing and playing are masterful on this. 

***************************************

             CLICK TO BUY


Concerto for Jazz Soloist and Orchestra
with Orchestra USA, Gunther Schuller, cond.

This five movement 12-tone piece features an entirely improvised solo part played by Bill.  It was recorded by the Orchestra USA led by John Lewis

***************************************

            CLICK TO BUY

Another Lester Koenig request for an album of Folk Songs that Bill nicely re-arranges.

***************************************

               CLICK TO BUY

Three albums completely composed by Bill with Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright & Joe Morello.  

***************************************

Bill & John Eaton started the American Jazz Ensemble in 1960.  They performed a wide variety of chamber music and jazz while exploring the musical technology of the time. 
This version of Charlie Parker's "Little Willie Leaps" features Bill, John Eaton, Richard Davis & Paul Motian playing along with tape loops going forwards, backwards and sped up.

***************************************

From an album titled "Fragments, etc." featuring  8 pieces for solo clarinet paired with voices, a clarinet ensemble, tape and echo.  Bill also played the double clarinet on this.  

***************************************

"Round Midnight" from a duo record with Enrico Pieranunzi called "The Rome Sessions"

 
A recent piece by Bill is an opera titled "Space in the Heart" with libretto written by Peter Monaghan based on the true life story of an astronaut love triangle.  Here's a clip: 

Bill has also composed pieces for two clarinets.  Here he is in Italy with Paolo Ravaglia.

Bill is also a great improvisor in any settle and "style".  Here he uses electronics in a free improvisation.