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"Whenever I'm doing a concert and I don't like the piano they have, I prevail upon Kawai to send me one of theirs," said jazz great Paul Smith, in a recent interview. Mr. Smith, whom the European "Jazz Dictionary" calls "the greatest pianist from America," has performed on Kawai pianos for over 20 years. In fact, he keeps three of them in his home - a 7', a 7'4" and a 9'.
His ability to change chords and key signatures, and to incorporate many songs into one song's interpretation, has captivated jazz fans everywhere.
After 50 years in the music industry, Mr. Smith's resume reads like a Who's Who of the entertainment world. In the role of pianist, arranger and conductor, he has worked with such celebrated performers as Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Pat Boone, Steve Allen and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
A prolific recording artist, Mr. Smith has made over 50 solo albums. He has also recorded with the top names in the industry, including Pearl Bailey, Rosemary Clooney, Edie Adams, Billy May, Marty Paich, Ray Anthony, Alfred Newman, John Green and Paul Weston. And, for Bing Crosby's last two albums, "Southern Memoirs" and "Bingo Viejo," Mr. Smith combined has multiple talents as arranger, pianist and conductor. A veteran of television's golden age, Mr. Smith was a staff pianist at NBC Studios for over 12 years. He has accompanied and arranged music for such legends as Red Skelton, Dinah Shore, Nat King Cole, Carol Burnett, Jo Stafford, Gordon McCrae and Tony Martin.
For two years, he was the pianist and conductor for television's critically acclaimed "Steve Allen Comedy Hour." A perennial fan of Paul Smith's playing, Mr. Allen was quoted as saying, "What Paul Smith does with two hands would ordinarily take three... he does the impossible."
Instrument: Kawai Grand Piano |
