Floyd Smith

Jazz guitarist Floyd Smith covered much stylistic territory in his long and active career that began in the 1930s. His entry to guitar was a ukulele, and after he switched instruments, he studied music theory in high school. During the late '30s, the guitarist was a member of the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra and the Sunset Royal Orchestra as well as an outfit known as the Brown Skin Models. Before and after he served overseas in the second World War, Smith also played with bandleader <a href="spotify:artist:6lDzuLTyt5ewY3FLfX1smg">Andy Kirk</a>. Smith began leading his own groups, usually small configurations such as trios. The stepping stone toward his later musical productions was the kind of soul-jazz created by players such as organist <a href="spotify:artist:1bIWJBRYp9l2njxHvVpPeI">Wild Bill Davis</a>. During the early '60s, Smith also worked with <a href="spotify:artist:6xGdsn4r7laoQDz0zbm1nY">Bill Doggett</a>, whose funky instrumental recordings became popular hits. A late-'60s profile on this guitarist in <a href="spotify:artist:20e1X1DJGEHZvK1lXE6FWz">John Chilton</a>'s Who's Who in Jazz winds up with Smith playing in an Atlantic City duo with <a href="spotify:artist:1nXyx9OvLoVmS5seDfkrJi">Hank Marr</a>. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi