Hal Smith Jazz
I am an old-school drummer who celebrates Ragtime, classic jazz of the 1920s and 1930s and the New Orleans Revival.
About Me
When I took up drumming in 1963, my inspirations were live performances by
Ben Pollack, Nick Fatool, Fred Higuera and Wayne Jones. I also studied recordings by Baby Dodds, Zutty Singleton, Paul Barbarin, Ray Bauduc, Dave Tough, Sid Catlett, George Wettling, Vic Berton, Stan King, Harry Dial, Johnny Wells and Morey Feld and took lessons from Jake Hanna.
My main influence on washboard is the South Frisco Jazz Band's Bob Raggio.
I worked with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, Soprano Summit, Butch Thompson Trio, Climax Jazz Band, Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band, Grand Dominion Jazz Band, Dukes of Dixieland and many Western Swing, Rockabilly, Blues and Contemporary Swing bands. In addition to performances on Minnesota Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion" and Texas Public Radio's "Riverwalk: Live From The Landing" I have appeared on over 200 recordings.
Currently I co-lead the Oliver-Smith Incomparables (with pianist Andrew Oliver) and lead the Hal Smith Trio; El Dorado Jazz Band and the Golden Snake Jazz Band.
I also work as a sideman with Banu Gibson's New Orleans Hot Jazz and Grammy Award-winner Floyd Domino and his All-Stars.
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Besides playing music, I am on the faculty of the New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp and the Advisory Board of the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Society/Jazz Festival. I am also a contributing writer to The Syncopated Times. I am one of the editors of "Dust Bowl To Disney -- The Lost Autobiography Of Danny Alguire" and co-writer of "Clancy Hayes - The Swingin' Minstrel" (with Chris Reid). Both of these books are available from Amazon.com.
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Oliver - Smith Incomparables
The Oliver - Smith Incomparables perform the music of Jelly Roll Morton as well as the classic jazz of King Oliver, Kid Ory, Johnny Dodds, Freddie Keppard, Bennie Moten, the New Orleans Owls and the Halfway House Orchestra in an authentic style that is also full of originality.
Andrew Oliver - piano, co-leader
Hal Smith - drums, co - leader
Colin Hancock - cornet
T.J. Muller - trombone
Andy Schumm - clarinet
Jacob Alspach - banjo, guitar
Dan Anderson - double bass, tuba
The Hal Smith Trio
The Hal Smith Trio performs a wide variety of piano-centric material associated with Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Jess Stacy, Joe Sullivan and others plus features for bass and drums.
Kris Tokarski - piano
Steve Pikal - double bass
Hal Smith - drums, leader
Golden Snake Jazz Band
The Golden Snake Jazz Band plays San Francisco Style Hot Jazz following in the footsteps of
Lu Watters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band, the Bay City Jazz Band and the South Frisco Jazz Band.
Dave Kosmyna - cornet
T.J. Muller - cornet
Howard Miyata - trombone
Andy Schumm - clarinet
Jeff Barnhart - piano
Matt Bottel - banjo
Paul Hagglund - tuba
Hal Smith - washboard, leader
El Dorado Jazz Band
The El Dorado Jazz Band plays New Orleans Jazz; stomps, blues, marches, rags and skiffle with a Southern California twist
Dave Kosmyna - cornet, vocals
Brandon Au - trombone, vocals
Ryan Calloway - banjo, vocals
Jeff Barnhart - piano, vocals
T.J. Muller - banjo, vocals
Mikiya Matsuda - string bass
Hal Smith - washboard, leader
Upcoming Events
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​2026​​​
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Apr. 16: FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL with Banu Gibson and New Orleans Hot Jazz. 12:45 p.m., NewOrleans.com Stage, Jackson Square.
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Apr. 18: FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL with Tim Laughlin's New Orleans All-Stars. 11:15 a.m., NewOrleans.com Stage, Jackson Square.
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Apr. 24: JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL with Tim Laughlin's New Orleans All-Stars. 12:25 p.m., Economy Hall Stage, New Orleans Fairgrounds.
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Apr. 30: JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL with Clive Wilson's New Orleans Serenaders, 12:35 p.m., Economy Hall Stage, New Orleans Fairgrounds.
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May 3: JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL with Banu Gibson & New Orleans Hot Jazz, 3:00 p.m., Economy Hall Stage, New Orleans Fairgrounds.
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May 27 - 30: SCOTT JOPLIN INTERNATIONAL RAGTIME FESTIVAL with the Oliver-Smith Incomparables and others; various venues around Sedalia, Missouri.
NEW ORLEANS STYLE RAGTIME --
AVAILABLE FROM RIVERMONT RECORDS
"St. Louis Rag" features the New Orleans Night Owls playing classic (and not-so-classic) rags in a style influenced by the ragtime recordings of Bunk Johnson, Mutt Carey, Ken Colyer and the St. Louis Ragtimers.
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Available from rivermontrecords.com
Publications
