Hale Smith

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hale Smith (born June 29, 1925 in Cleveland / Ohio ; † November 24, 2009 ) was an American composer, arranger, pianist and music teacher.

Smith took piano lessons from the age of seven and grew up listening to classical music and jazz. In high school he played jazz with Ernie Freeman , Brenton Banks , Howard Roberts and Aaron Bell . After military service, he studied from 1946 to 1952 at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Ward Lewis and Marcel Dick . In 1952 he won the Student Composer's Award of Broadcast Music Inc .

In 1958 he went to New York, where he worked as editor and consultant for the music publishers EB Marks , CF Peters , Frank Music Corp. and Sam Fox Music Publishers worked with jazz musicians Chico Hamilton , Dizzy Gillespie , Eric Dolphy , Randy Weston , Melba Liston , Ahmad Jamal and Oliver Nelson . Until 1970 he taught at the CW Post College in Long Island, after which he was Professor of Music at the University of Connecticut . As a teacher, musical companion and friend, he had significant artistic influence on musicians such as Ron Ancrum , Regina Baiocchi , Dizzy Gillespie, Chico Hamilton, Marilyn Harris , Isaac Hayes , Ahmad Jamal, Quincy Jones , Isaac Hayes, Abbey Lincoln , Melba Liston, Oliver Nelson , Jessye Norman , Horace Silver , Randy Weston, Howard Swanson and Eric Dolphy.

Works

  • Four Mosaics for piano, 1948
  • Three Songs for Alto, 1949
  • Beyond the Rim of Day for high voice and piano, 1950
  • Two Kids for mixed choir, 1950
  • Ferma , incidental music for the play by Federico García Lorca , 1951
  • The Valley Wind for medium voice and piano, 1951–55
  • Orchestral Set , 1952
  • Lysistrata , incidental music for the piece by Aristophanes , 1952
  • Duo for Violin & Piano , 1953
  • In Memoriam-Beryl Rubenstein for mixed choir, chamber orchestra and piano, 1953
  • Blood Wedding , incidental music for the play by Federico Garcia Lorca, 1953
  • Sonata for 'Cello & Piano , 1955
  • Epicedial Variations 1956 , 1956
  • Five Songs for Soprano and Violin , 1956
  • Two Love Songs of John Donne for soprano, string quartet and wind quintet, 1958
  • Three Brevities for Solo Flute , 1961
  • Contours for Orchestra , 1961
  • By Yearning and By Beautiful for string orchestra, 1964
  • Somersault: A Twelve Tone Adventure for Band , 1964
  • Take A Chance: An Aleatoric Episode for Band , 1964
  • Trinal Dance , 1965
  • Evocation for piano, 1965
  • Faces of Jazz for piano, 1965
  • Bold New Approach , soundtrack, 1966
  • Expansions 1967 , 1967
  • Nuances of Hale Smith , soundtrack, 1968
  • Exchanges for Trumpet and Otchester, 1970
  • Anticipations, Introspections, and Reflections for piano, 1971
  • Concert Music for Piano and Orchestra , 1972
  • Come Back, My Youth , 1972
  • Comes Tomorrow: Jazz Cantata for four soloists, mixed choir and jazz rhythm section, 1972
  • Introduction, Cadenzas and Interludes for Eight Players , 1974
  • Ritual and Incantations for orchestra, 1974
  • I'm Coming Home for mixed choir and jazz rhythm section, 1974
  • For One Called Billy for piano, 1975
  • Variations for Six Players , 1975
  • Toussaint L'Ouverture-1803 for mixed choir, 1976
  • Innerflexions for orchestra, 1977
  • Solemn Music for organ, four horns, four trumpets and three trombones, 1979
  • Symphonic Spirituals for solo voice and orchestra, 1980
  • Meditations In Passage for soprano, baritone and orchestra or piano, 1980–81
  • Joplin's Dirty Rags for two pianos and ragtime band, 1983
  • Variations a Due , 1984
  • Three Patterson Lyrics for soprano and piano, 1985
  • March and Fanfare for an Elegant Lady , 1986
  • Mirrors: Rondo-Variations for Two Pianos , 1988
  • Dialogues and Commentaries for Seven Players , 1991
  • I'm Going To Sing for tenor and piano, 1991
  • Tra La La Lamia for soprano, tenor, baritone and piano, 1991
  • Variations on a Quasi Classical Tune for String Orchestra of Young Players , 1992
  • Riverain for wind instruments and percussion, 1993
  • Ask Your Mama for two storytellers and jazz ensemble, 1994
  • Recitative and Aria for English Horn Solo , 1995
  • A Ternion of Seasons for wood and brass quintets , percussion and narrator, 1996
  • Breaking Bread With Egbert for piano, 1997
  • Music for Martyrs for bass voice, piano and drum, 1997

swell

personal data
SURNAME Smith, Hale
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American composer, music educator, and pianist
DATE OF BIRTH June 29, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Cleveland
DATE OF DEATH November 24, 2009