Pat Smythe (musician)

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Patrick Mungo Smythe (* 1923 in Edinburgh ; † May 6, 1983 in London ) was a British jazz pianist .

Life

Smythe, who initially pursued a legal career like his father, attended Winchester College and then studied law at Oxford University . During the Second World War he interrupted his studies to serve as a pilot in the Royal Air Force . He resumed his studies at Edinburgh University and then initially worked in his father's office. In the late 1950s he went to London to become a professional musician. There he first worked in Dizzy Reece's band . In May 1960 he became a member of the Joe Harriott quintet , to which he belonged during the 1960s and in whose legendary recordings he was involved. In 1962 he presented an album under his own name. Since 1965 he was a member of John Mayer's Indo-Jazz Fusions double quintet , where he was the only one of the jazz musicians involved to deal more intensively with the underlying ragas . He also recorded with Shake Keane .

He also worked with guests traveling through such as Stan Getz , Paul Gonsalves ( Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick ), Ben Webster , Tony Bennett , Zoot Sims and Anita O'Day . In the 1970s he was part of the groups of Kenny Wheeler , Peter King , Ronnie Scott , Ronnie Ross , Tony Kinsey and Johnny Dankworth ; in London's jazz clubs he also accompanied the singers Carol Kidd and Elaine Delmar . He toured North America with the singer Sandra King, who was discovered by Ronnie Scott. He also led his own trio, which was expanded to a septet for television productions with Annie Ross . With Fran Landesman he wrote songs that were interpreted by Norma Winstone and Karin Krog . He died in 1983 after a long illness.

In 1985 the Pat Smythe Memorial Trust was founded, which donated an award named after Smythe and supported young musicians such as Julian Argüelles , Jason Rebello , Nigel Hitchcock and Anita Wardell .

literature

  • Alan Robertson: Joe Harriott: Fire in his Soul. Northway Books 2003, ISBN 0-9537040-3-3
  • Coleridge Goode, Roger Cotterrell: Bass Lines: A Life in Jazz. Northway Books 2002, ISBN 0-9537040-2-5

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Smythe, Pat
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smythe, Patrick Mungo (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz pianist
DATE OF BIRTH 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH Edinburgh
DATE OF DEATH May 6, 1983
Place of death London