Steve Smith (musician)

Early life

Smith received his first drum kit at age two and in 1963 he began taking formal lessons with local Boston area drum teacher Bill Flanagan, who played in big bands in the swing era. Smith got his first “real” drum set when he was 12 years old. On many nights, Steve could be heard practicing in a small shed in the backyard of his Harvard Street home. Smith performed in the usual school band program and garage bands while in his teens, including Clyde, a South Shore sensation, but also began to broaden his performing experience by playing in a professional concert band and the big band at local Bridgewater State College.

Career

Smith's first “paid gig” was with a garage band. He graduated from high school in 1972, and at 19 joined the 'Lin Biviano Big Band' playing with them for two years.

After high school, Smith attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts studying with Alan Dawson.

Smith recorded and toured with jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty in 1977-78, was the drummer on the Focus album Focus con Proby (1978), as well as drumming with Ronnie Montrose before joining the rock band Journey in 1978. He occupied the drum chair from late 1978 through mid-1985. Smith left the band in 1985, but he returned in 1995 for the band's 1996 comeback album, Trial by Fire. In the interim, he played with Journey offshoot The Storm.

He has worked as a session musician for pop artists including Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Elisa, Vasco Rossi, Zucchero, Savage Garden, Bryan Adams, as well as world musicians Zakir Hussain and Sandip Burman. Additionally, he has played with well-known jazz artists including Mike Mainieri's Steps Ahead, Wadada Leo Smith, Tom Coster, Ahmad Jamal, Dave Liebman, Larry Coryell, Victor Wooten, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, Stuart Hamm, Dweezil Zappa, Anthony Jackson, Aydın Esen, Torsten de Winkel, George Brooks, Michael Zilber, Steve Marcus, Andy Fusco, Kai Eckhardt, Lee Musiker, Howard Levy, Oteil Burbridge, Jerry Goodman, Tony MacAlpine and Bill Evans. Smith has led his own jazz group, Vital Information since 1977.

In the early 1990s, Smith studied with Freddie Gruber and as a result, his playing style completely changed.

In 1994 Smith was invited by Rush drummer Neil Peart to perform in a tribute album, Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich, to legendary drummer Buddy Rich, who inspired both drummers' careers and techniques. Smith performed "Nutville", and was invited to return for the second tribute album, Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich, Vol. 2, where he performed "Moment's Notice".

In 2001 Modern Drummer magazine named Smith as one of the Top 25 Drummers of All Time. The following year, he was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. In 2003, his Hudson Music DVD Steve Smith Drumset Technique - History of the U.S. Beat was voted the #1 Educational DVD of the year, while in the same year, Smith recorded two albums with Buddy's Buddies, a quintet composed of Buddy Rich alumni, and released two CDs on the Tone Center label. Both were recorded live at the famous London jazz club Ronnie Scott's. They are Very Live at Ronnie Scott's Set One & Set Two.

In 2007, Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies were renamed "Steve Smith's Jazz Legacy". The band now pays tribute to many great jazz drummers in addition to Buddy Rich. In 1989, Smith headlined the Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert held in New York City, performing a duet with fellow drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith.

On November 24, 2015, Journey announced that Smith has rejoined the band.

Selected discography