Stuff Smith

Among pre-bop violinists, Stuff Smith ranked with Joe Venuti and Stephane Grappelli as one of the leading figures. Fans frequently claimed he surpassed his rivals in swing, and on stage he indeed projected a commanding presence. Citing Louis Armstrong as his principal inspiration, Smith received his early training from his father and performed in the family band while still a boy. His initial important engagement and recordings came during the 1920s with Alphonse Trent’s territory band, yet his true breakthrough arrived only in 1936. Fronting a quintet at the Onyx Club alongside trumpeter Jonah Jones, Smith’s comic vocals and vigorously swinging style turned the ensemble into a regular attraction on 52nd Street, where the novelty number “I’se a Muggin’” proved especially popular. Throughout the 1940s he maintained steady work with various trios, though by the following decade his profile had faded until Norman Granz arranged extensive sessions for Verve; he also appeared on Nat King Cole’s After Midnight dates for Capitol. In 1965 the violinist relocated to Copenhagen, remaining active there until his death two years afterward.