American jazz musician (1926–1953)
James Darwin Smith (1926–1953) was an American jazz trumpet player who reached his peak in the early 1950s.[1]
After a bebop debut with Miles Davis in a small group setting, Smith continued to record for Blue Note and played a number of gigs in Chicago.[2] His first self-composed stylistic jazz was a piece called "Cold Jammin", which earned him his nickname Jimmy "Jammin" Smith. Smith died at the early age of 27 from a heroin overdose after one of his concerts.[1]
References
- ^ a b Starker, Christopher, The Lesser Known Jazz, Toll State Books, p. 105.
- ^ Jones, William, The Life and Death of the Bebop Era, Chicago House Publishing, pp. 52–53.