RIP Johnny Smith

[floatingpickup]

One of the most influential jazz guitarists of all time, and my hero, Johnny Smith, has passed away. Very sad news. Legendary Guitarist Johnny Smith Passes | Vintage Guitar® magazine

[jorgemg1984]

Indeed...

[Jonathan0996]

Sadder still is how the mainstream media completely overlooked his passing. This was one of the most influential jazz guitarists ever, and outside of a few hardcore jazz guitar fans, nobody seems to know who he was or that he died.

The New York Times, which aught to know better, never published a word about his death. NPR caught on a couple days late, and put an obit online that was mostly about Walk Don't Run (which Smith composed) and the Ventures. It featured a YouTube clip of, guess who? The Ventures.

Sigh...

[ruger9]

Sadder still is how the mainstream media completely overlooked his passing. This was one of the most influential jazz guitarists ever, and outside of a few hardcore jazz guitar fans, nobody seems to know who he was or that he died.
...

I agree, altho it seemed JS almost wanted it that way... rarely leaving his quiet life in Colorado Springs for anything of major news-worthiness. He seemed humble in the extreme, and didn't seem to care much for accolades... I remember saying the same thing about Jerry Reed when he passed. These were just normal guys who thought of themselves as normal guys.

Once JS moved to CO Springs, he had all but retired from the limelight, and that was 1957... over 50 years ago.

[SamBooka]

agreed about the ventures in the NPR post.
But .. and I am sure there are people here who know him better... I bet his family wanted it as low key as possible.
I heard on the gear page of his passing and for a day or so.. nothing. Irony of ironies: Google Johnny Smith earlier this week and two of the first hits were "Johnny Smith: Alive and Well in Colorado" and "What are you doing for the rest of your life"

I had pretty much given up guitar for about 10 years... when my daughter was born and I was home for 6 weeks I started playing again a little ... I had a jazzmaster and a setzer video... but then I got Walk dont Run by JS (Despite the title, for me it was all killer.. no filler).. and 5 years later here I am. The personal debt I owe to Mr Smith will never be repaid.. best I can do is pay it forward.

Cheers.

[robertm2000]

A very nice tribute to Johnny Smith, by Aylon Samouha, played on a Johnny Smith guitar.

[LtKojak]

Here you go!

HTH,

[sjl]

What can I say?
I just loved him, he was a true legend alive and will be a legend dead.

RIP.

[Archtop Guy]

Mr. Smiths Walk Don't Run was the first song I learned. The Ventures version when it was a hit in the sixties. I owe my lifetime of guitar enjoyment to that man. May he rest in peace.

[DRS]

One of the best.
RIP

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

This is making me wonder, who are the old guys (over 80) who are still around? Which ones are still performing?

Jim Hall
Mundell Lowe
Bucky Pizzarelli
John Pisano
Kenny Burrell
Ed Bickert (retired)

Others?

[Eddie Lang]

This is making me wonder, who are the old guys (over 80) who are still around? Which ones are still performing?

Jim Hall
Mundell Lowe
Bucky Pizzarelli
John Pisano
Kenny Burrell
Ed Bickert (retired)

Others?

Bill Jennings (b. 1919 surely retired if he is still alive)
Al Caiola (b. 1920)
Eddie Duran (b. 1925)
Marty Grosz (b. 1930)
Dick Garcia (b. 1931)
Pat Martino (b. 1944 - okay, he's only 79 y/o )

[HighSpeedSpoon]

He had a beautiful and very distinct voice, and it is sad but not surprising that his work was not more widely recognized at his passing. That job has fallen to those like us, who have the good fortune to know his art.

More than anything, I will remember him for Man With the Blue Guitar - one of my favorite albums.


RIP Johnny Smith, and thanks!

[wintermoon]

"Pat Martino (b. 1944 - okay, he's only 79 y/o ) "

easy there, he's only 68

[Eddie Lang]

Doh!

[gcb]

I am listening now to his version of "On a Clear Day" (1967). Incredible playing and tone.

[jorgemg1984]

DownBeat Magazine

[ESCC]

The one and only, RIP.

[ecj]

RIP Mr. Smith.

One of my favorites:

[eeentee]

here is a clip of the great johnny smith with bing crosby , has a few cool close-ups

[axuality]

RIP Mr. Smith.

One of my favorites:

I remember slowing my record player to 16-2/3 (thereby lowering it an octave) and learning this song note-for-note.

I started in the evening and worked all night into the next morning. When I was finished, I could see the wear on
the grooves that comprised this song. I had had to listen to every little part so many times to get it....

I've never spent that long on anything to do with guitar before that or since (1968).

I think this song has the most beautiful chord progressions and voicings in Johnny's version of it, of probably any
song I've ever heard. It almost literally stuns me when some of those chords appear out of almost nowhere.
Notice how many open string chords he plays.

I picked up a major part of my style, open chords, from this guy. Johnny's never gone.

[paynow]

Downbeat has a piece on it:

DownBeat Magazine

Such a great player. One of my favorites.

[2bornot2bop]

JS will be missed -