Last updated: 6 hours ago
Tab Smith's career can easily be divided into two. One of the finest altoists to emerge during the swing era, Smith became a popular attraction in the R&B world of the 1950s due to his record "Because of You." After early experience playing in territory bands during the 1930s, Tab Smith played and recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Lucky Millinder's Orchestra</a> (1936-1938) and then freelanced with various swing all-stars in New York. He had opportunities to solo with <a href="spotify:artist:2jFZlvIea42ZvcCw4OeEdA">Count Basie</a>'s band (1940-1942) before returning to <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Millinder</a> (1942-1944), and took honors on a recording of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" with a stunning cadenza that followed statements by <a href="spotify:artist:0JM134st8VY7Ld9T2wQiH0">Coleman Hawkins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:71M7lckOooBtdsLfD1qqqa">Don Byas</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:28fgw4cYFSCSciUyDqnbXN">Harry Carney</a>. After leaving <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Millinder</a>, Smith led his own sessions which became increasingly R&B-oriented (he never became involved with bop). His string of recordings for United in the 1950s (which have been reissued by Delmark on CD) made him a fairly major name for a time even though he had a relatively mellow sound and avoided honking. In the early '60s Tab Smith retired to St. Louis and later became involved in selling real estate. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
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