SHAKIN SMITH

SHAKIN SMITH,extraordinario armonicista , desafortunadamente se dispone de poca información acerca de sus andanzas actuales, como podréis ver su web-site está en una fechas de hace algunos años, y ciertamente hemos encontrado poco material que nos hable de él , os ofrecemos unos detalles de su excepcional calidad. 

 
                         
         

           


From the 1990 album, Mr. Smith's Blues Collection, Volume 1

Shakin Smith's association with the blues dates back to when he was 5 years old, when he asked for a harmonica for Christmas. As a youth, he was fascinated with the music of Sonny Boy Williamson, whose skill on the harmonica was legendary. Smith would be absorbed for hours at a time, listening to recordings by Williamson (accompanied by long-term sideman, guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr.). Smith would do his best to emulate the complicated swoops and swirls that Sonny Boy would gracefully summon forth form his harp.

As a teenager in the 1960's, Shakin Smith had some priceless opportunities to interact with a host of legendary figures in the world of blues music. These events transpired at the Governor's Inn, a bar on Buffalo, New York's East Side, which was a hotspot for blues. It was there that for the first time he met people such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Louis Myers, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, and others. This was a fascinating environment for a young blues fan, allowing him to interact with, play alongside, and learn from these tremendously talented musicians. Not surprisingly, Smith has plenty of interesting anecdotes to share. For example, Smith recalls how he once became the center of a tug-of-war between Howlin' Wolf and Junior Wells. "You're going to mess that boy up!" Wolf snapped at Wells, who had sat down to tutor Smith, as the two discussed and played their renditions of Sonny Boy Williamson. "I can show him how to play that stuff the right way!"

After spending a few years playing with the James Peterson blues band, Shakin Smith formed his own band in 1969. It was time to start creating his own legacy, having drawn from the inspiration and wisdom of his mentors. As is the case with any culture or tradition--in this case, the blues--the vast storehouses of knowledge need to be passed on through the generations, lest they become lost. Smith had been a firsthand recipient of such wisdom and advice--straight from the authoritative sources of the time. To this end, Shakin Smith has continued to play at various clubs and other venues throughout the years, amazing audiences and constantly refining his harmonica playing skills, becoming an impressive virtuoso in his own right. He has had opportunities to expand his horizons, showcase his talent, and carry on the tradition of the blues, while also putting his own unique spin on it. In fact, Shakin Smith has also turned to other sources for inspiration, drawing upon bebop jazz (from the likes of Lester Young and Charlie Parker), as well as European classical music. In 1985, Shakin Smith became the first blues musician to be inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.