Louis Smith, American jazz trumpete, Died at 85

  Music

Edward Louis Smith was born on May 20, 1931, and died on August 20, 2016.

He was an American jazz trumpeter from Memphis, Tennessee.

As a student at the University of Michigan, Louis played with visiting musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Thad Jones and Billy Mitchell, before going on to play with Sonny Stitt, Count Basie and Al McKibbon, Cannonball Adderley, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, Lou Donaldson, Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham and Zoot Sims.

Smith started his career with two albums for Blue Note.

Originally, the first, Here Comes Louis Smith, recorded for the Boston based Transition Records, featured Cannonball Adderley (then under contract to Mercury) playing under the pseudonym “Buckshot La Funke”, Tommy Flanagan, Duke Jordan, Art Taylor and Doug Watkins.

His first music career was brief; he became a teacher at the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor’s public school system, but later recorded for the SteepleChase label.

He had suffered a stroke in 2006, and is seen occasionally enjoying live jazz in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area, but has not returned to performing.

Louis cousin Booker Little was also a trumpeter.

Edward Louis Smith passed away at 85 years old.