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Early life. During the Great Depression, Smith's family moved from Birmingham, Alabama, where Smith was born, [ 1] through several cities, ending up in Portland, Maine. [ 2] Smith taught himself to play guitar in pawnshops, which let him play in exchange for keeping the guitars in tune.
Dec 4, 2023 · Johnny Smith was a pioneer of chord melody playing, a technique where the guitarist simultaneously plays the melody and harmonizes it with chords. He was a master at this approach, creating intricate and harmonically rich arrangements that showcased his creativity and harmonic knowledge.
Smith listened to a wide spectrum of music and musicians on radio and records, but was really drawn to the freedom, spontaneity and creativity of jazz and wholeheartedly appreciated the musicianship and improvisational skill it demanded.
- Steven Cerra
Sep 19, 2013 · Johnny Smith retired from the jazz scene when his wife died giving birth to their daughter. Realizing a life on the road would not be conducive to being a father, Johnny moved to Denver, Colorado where he opened a music store and gave guitar lessons in the back.
- Dom Minasi
Feb 11, 2024 · Johnny Smith retired from the jazz scene in the 1960's to Colorado where he opened a music store. He continued to play in local nightclubs and made a recording with some local musicians “Reminiscing,” that showed he had lost none of the signature Johnny Smith style or technique.
The Smith family migrated across the southern states as a consequence of the Great Depression and eventually settled in Portland, Maine. As a teenager, Johnny played the guitar with various hillbilly groups, most notably Uncle Lem and His Mountain Boys.
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Jun 13, 2013 · Best known for his Grammy-winning recording of “Moonlight in Vermont” with tenor sax titan Stan Getz, Johnny Smith was also respected for his blistering single-note lines, unsurpassed solo-guitar chops, and beautiful clean tone.
