Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Drummer Nate Smith

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Drummer Nate Smith:       Drummer Nate Smith was born Ira Nathaniel Smith on December 14, 1974, in Chesapeake, VA. Nate Smith is a drummer, songwriter, producer...

Drummer Nate Smith

      Drummer Nate Smith was born Ira Nathaniel Smith on December 14, 1974, in Chesapeake, VA. Nate Smith is a drummer, songwriter, producer, and educator whose love for music began with his record collection, which included recordings of Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock. While listening to these recordings Nate Smith would particularly listen to the drummers.

     Nate Smith began playing drums like many of us in K-12 education. He played in the Indian River High School band program in Chesapeake, Virginia, playing in concert band, marching band, and jazz band. Outside of school Nate Smith played in church. Nate grew-up in a quiet church community of parishioners, so he only played during special occasions. Gospel drumming was not a large part of his drumming foundation.

      Along with his siblings Nate Smith took piano lessons after his mom purchased a piano for the family home. Nate would loss interest in playing piano after a year of lessons, and returned to playing drums. Nate Smith would come back to the piano, but drums was his true passion.

     Nate Smith was greatly influenced by Art Blakely and the Jazz Messengers of the 1980`s. He was also influenced by Elvin Jones, but Smith would not learn about Elvin Jones until he was enrolled in college. During his college years Max Roach was also a discovery, but not merely as a drummer, but a conceptualist and composer. Nate Smith was quoted as saying "Elvin, Max and Art Blakely are the triumvirate for me as a drummer."

     For over 20 years Nate Smith has worked with some of the greatest names in jazz, R&B, rock, pop, and hip-hop as performer, composer, arranger, with Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Jose James, John Patitucci, Ravi Coltrane, Somi, and others. Nate Smith has two Grammy-nominated albums; Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere Project, and Kinfolk 2: See The Birds.