Mike Smith

Born in Chicago, Mike Smith completed his musical education at North Texas State University and entered Maynard Ferguson’s group as its baritone saxophonist in 1980. Across the 1980s he performed on baritone, alto, and soprano saxophones in the ensembles of Buddy Rich, Clark Terry, Nat Adderley, and Art Farmer, and from 1987 onward he also served in the orchestra that accompanied Frank Sinatra on worldwide tours. Audibly shaped by Cannonball Adderley, Smith applies post-bop shading to his readings of jazz and pop standards, while his own compositions display a still greater measure of inventive reach.