Willie "The Lion" Smith
Willie "The Lion" Smith in the 1920s was considered one of the big three of stride piano (along with James P. Johnson and Fats Waller) even though he made almost no recordings until the mid-'30s. His mother was an organist and pianist, and Smith started playing piano when he was six. He earned a living playing piano as a teenager, gained his nickname "the Lion" for his heroism in World War I, and after his discharge he became one of the star attractions at Harlem's nightly rent parties. Although he toured with Mamie Smith (and played piano on her pioneering 1920 blues record "Crazy Blues"), Smith mostly freelanced throughout his life. He was an influence on the young Duke Ellington (who would later write "Portrait of the Lion") and most younger New York-based pianists of the 1920s and '30s. Although he was a braggart and (with his cigar and trademark derby hat) appeared to be a rough character, Smith was actually more colorful than menacing and a very sophisticated pianist with a light touch. His recordings with his Cubs (starting in 1935) and particularly his 1939 piano solos for Commodore (highlighted by "Echoes of Spring") cemented his place in history. Because he remained very active into the early '70s (writing his memoirs Music on My Mind in 1965), for quite a few decades Willie "the Lion" Smith was considered a living link to the glory days of early jazz.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Man At His Leisure
Jazz - Released by classics & more on 31 jul. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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In Other Spheres
Jazz - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 15 mrt. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Lp Library
Jazz - Released by old library records on 17 jan. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hip Around
Jazz - Released by LST Collector Series on 19 sep. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cozy Like A Bear
Jazz - Released by LST Collector Series on 19 sep. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Willie 'The Lion' Smith Selected Hits Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 12 jun. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Willie 'The Lion' Smith Selected Hits Vol. 2 (Willie 'The Lion' Smith)
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 12 jun. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Swing Time, 1934-37 (Hq remastered 2023)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on 20 feb. 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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1st Annual Connecticut Jazz Festival (Hq remastered)
Duke Ellington, Willie "The Lion" Smith
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on 30 jul. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Super Bright Hits
Jazz - Released by cappo digital on 6 mei 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hits To Have A Night Out
Jazz - Released by cappo digital on 14 apr. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo