Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SMITH, Tab

(b Talmadge Smith, 11 January 1909, Kingston NC; d 17 August 1971, St Louis) Saxophonist. Began on C-melody, then alto. St Louis gigs in the 1930s included Fate Marable; then Mills Blue Rhythm Band led by Lucky Millinder '36-9; Frankie Newton, Teddy Wilson big band, then Count Basie. He wrote arrangements, e.g. 'Blow Top' (cut on his first Basie recording session March '40), 'Harvard Blues' '41; left Basie mid-'42, back with Millinder; freelance activities included arranging Coleman Hawkins and his Sax Ensemble date on Keynote '44: Hawkins and Don Byas on tenors, Smith on alto, Harry Carney on baritone, plus Johnny Guarnieri, Sid Catlett, bassist Al Lucas: 12-inch 78s were made with exquisite results.

He formed his own small band '44; a car crash setback killed singer-guitarist Trevor Bacon, also an ex-Millinder star; the band recorded for more than a dozen labels '44-50, finally hit with Chicago-based United '51: first record 'Because Of You', a lush instrumental version of the Tony Bennett hit of that year, made no. 25 in pop chart in a year that was kind to alto men: Earl Bostic ('Flamingo'), Johnny Hodges ('Castle Rock') also scored. Cut more than 50 sides for United till '57, mostly dance-oriented; then for Argo, Checker, King '58-60; then moved back to St Louis, went into real estate, taught and played occasional gigs.

Compilations included Ace High, Because Of You and Jump Time on Delmark ('51-7 tracks); Joy At The Savoy and I Don't Want To Play In The Kitchen on Saxophonograph were mostly '44-5 stuff with Bacon. Crazy Walk was a CD on Delmark that compiled 24 United tracks from '55-7.