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" Living with the double bass and the electric bass over the years has been a
challenging and rewarding experience both personally through the people that I have
met, and musically, through the repetoire of different genres, styles and songs that I
have discovered and performed."
Received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance in the Double-Bass from the
University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) under the direction of Los Angeles
Philharmonic bassist Frederick D. Tinsley in 1983. Attended California Institute of the
Arts (CalArts) in 1984 on a Masters Program scholarship to continue studying with
Tinsley and perform with the CalArts symphony and chamber orchestras.
Also studied privately on double bass with Harold Siegel, Steve Rodby, Richard Davis
and Laura Snyder, and on electric bass and jazz improvisation with noted session
bassist, clinician and author Carol Kaye.
,Smith has performed with numerous jazz artists including the late jazz harpist Dorothy
Ashby, sax men Eddie Harris and Teddy Edwards and Buddy Collette, pianist Art Hillery,
trombonist Jimmie Cheatham, veteran drummers Sherman Ferguson and Clayton
Cameron, Bill Douglass. and many others. Smith, along with New York bassist Bill Lee ,
co-founded the Los Angeles Bass Violin Choir, a group of prominent L.A. area double-
bassists performing special arrangements by him and Lee. Bill Lee, father of director
Spike Lee, and founder of the New York Bass Violin Choir. That group consisted of Ron
Carter, Richard Davis, Lisle Atkinson and Milt Hinton. The L.A. group consisted of the
late Andy Simpkins, George “Red” Callendar, John Heard, Bertram Turetsky and Herbie
Lewis, along with Smith. Additional players to perform with the group were James Leary,
Alan Jackson and Roberto Miranda. Cecil Lytle , pianist and drummer Sherman
Ferguson also performed with bass ensemble.
Currently, performing World Music nightly with many international artists, as " house
bassist " at the " Caspian " in Irvine, California. Also working with popular jazz vocalist,
Elaine Miles.
Herbert D. Smith- Bass
