Willie Smith (saxophonist, 1926)
Willie "Face" Smith (* 1926 , † 1. December 2009 in Cleveland ) was an American jazz - saxophonist , arranger and composer .
Smith worked in the 1940s and 1950s with Tadd Dameron , Benny Bailey , Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane , as an arranger and composer also with Lionel Hampton , Scatman Carruthers , in the 1960s in the Motown studios (including Stevie Wonder , Marvin Gaye , The Temptations , Diana Ross and The Supremes ) and in the 1970s with Brother Jack McDuff's Heating System . As an orchestrator he worked in the 2000s with Joe Lovano , whose mentor he was, to be heard on his albums 52nd Street Themes (2000, with Smith's Dameron arrangements) and On This Day: At the Vanguard (2003).
Web links
- Willie Smith at Discogs (English)
- Obituary in Cleveland.com
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Smith, Willie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Smith, Face (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz alto saxophonist, arranger and composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1926 |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 1, 2009 |
| Place of death | Cleveland |