Ira Nathaniel Smith (born December 14, 1974), generally referred to as Nate Smith, is an American drummer, songwriter, producer, and three-time Grammy nominee.

Life and career

Smith was born in

Chesapeake, Virginia Chesapeake is an independent city in Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, making it the second-most populous city in Virginia, the tenth largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 92nd-most populous city in the ...

, and started playing drums at age 11, initially influenced by rock and funk music. At 16, he developed an interest in jazz after listening to '' Album of the Year'' by

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

and the

Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

. Smith studied media art and design at

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

. While at James Madison, he performed at the Conference of the International Association for Jazz Education in Atlanta, where he met

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

, who invited him to joint performances at the Blue Note in New York City. Smith went to graduate school at

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...

, where he met

Dave Holland Dave Holland or David Holland may refer to: *Dave Holland (bassist) David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has ...

and joined Holland's quintet in 2003. Smith appears on the albums ''

Critical Mass In nuclear engineering, critical mass is the minimum mass of the fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction in a particular setup. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties (specific ...

'' (2005) and '' Pathways'' (2009). In 2017, he released his first album as leader, ''Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere'' on

Ropeadope Records Ropeadope Records is an American record label known for recordings in a variety of genres including jazz, hip hop, gospel and electronic music. The label, now led by Louis Marks, was founded in 1999 by Andy HurwitzAndy Hurwitz"Ropeadope carves id ...

. In 2018 Smith cowrote and performed in the self-titled, debut EP release from the

Vulfpeck Vulfpeck is an American funk/soul band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2011. Founded by multi-instrumentalists Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss, and bassist Joe Dart, the band has released four extended plays, six studio albums, a co ...

spin-off group The Fearless Flyers, later going on a US tour with the group. The group has released four EPs and two albums. Smith has composed soundtracks for broadcast documentaries on

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It init ...

and

The Learning Channel TLC is an American multinational cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks, Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established in 1980 as The Learn ...

. He co-wrote and produced the

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

song " Heaven Can Wait".

Discography

As leader

* ''Workday, Waterbaby Music Vol. 1'' (Waterbaby Music, 2008) * '' Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere'' (Ropeadope, 2017) * ''Pocket Change'' (Waterbaby Music, 2018) * ''Light and Shadow'' (Waterbaby Music, 2020) * ''Kinfolk 2: See the Birds'' (Edition Records, 2021) * ''Pocket Change 2: Mad Currency'' (Waterbaby Music, 2023)

As sideman

With

Robin Eubanks Robin Eubanks (born October 25, 1955) is an American jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks. Younger brother Shane Eubanks, twin to Duane Eubanks, is a DJ. His uncles are jazz p ...

* ''Klassik Rock Vol. 1'' (ArtistShare, 2014) * ''More Than Meets the Ear'' (ArtistShare, 2015) With

* ''

'' (Dare2, 2006) * '' Pathways'' (Dare2, 2010) With

Brittany Howard Brittany Amber Howard (born October 2, 1988) is an American musician from Athens, Alabama. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of Alabama Shakes. Her work with Alabama Shakes ...

* ''

Jaime Jaime is a common Spanish and Portuguese male given name for Jacob (name), James (name), Jamie, or Jacques. In Occitania Jacobus became ''Jacome'' and later ''Jacme''. In east Spain, ''Jacme'' became ''Jaime'', in Aragon it became ''Chaime'', and i ...

'' (ATO Records, 2019) * ''

What Now What Now may refer to: Albums * What, Now? (Peter Hammill album), ''What, Now?'' (Peter Hammill album), 2001 * What Now? (Kenny Wheeler album), ''What Now?'' (Kenny Wheeler album), 2005 * What Now (Sylvan Esso album), ''What Now'' (Sylvan Esso al ...

'' (Island Records 2024) With Jose James * ''Love in a Time of Madness'' (Blue Note, 2017) * ''Lean on Me'' (Blue Note, 2018) With Chris Potter * '' Underground'' (Sunnyside, 2006) * '' Follow the Red Line'' (Sunnyside, 2007) * '' Ultrahang'' (ArtistShare, 2009) * ''

Imaginary Cities Imaginary Cities was a Canadian indie pop duo based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The project consisted of multi-instrumentalist Rusty Matyas, formerly of the Waking Eyes and a sometime collaborator of the Weakerthans, and vocalist Marti Sarbit.

'' (ECM, 2015) With others *

Patricia Barber Patricia Barber (born November 8, 1955) is an American songwriter, composer, singer, and pianist. Biography Barber's father Floyd was a jazz saxophonist who played with Bud Freeman and Glenn Miller. She played saxophone and piano from a young a ...

, ''The Cole Porter Mix'' (Blue Note, 2008) *

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock music, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was ...

, ''Randy Pop!'' (Piloo, 2015) *

Scott Colley Scott Colley (born November 24, 1963) is an American jazz double bassist and composer. As of 2024, he had been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards, including Best Jazz Instrumental Album for '' Guided Tour'' in 2014 and '' Still Dreaming'' in 2019. Duri ...

, ''Seven'' (ArtistShare, 2017) * Nir Felder, ''Golden Age'' (Okeh, 2014) *

Takuya Kuroda is a Japanese jazz trumpeter and arranger. Kuroda came to music by joining his school's big band. Later he frequently visited jam sessions in Kobe. In 2003 he moved to the United States and was a course participant at Berklee College of Musi ...

, ''Rising Son'' (Blue Note, 2014) *

Monday Michiru is a Japanese American singer and songwriter whose music encompasses and fuses a wide variety of genres including jazz, dance, pop, and soul. She is arguably best known for being a pioneer of the acid jazz movement in Japan in the early 1990s y ...

, ''Don't Disturb This Groove'' (Grand Gallery, 2011) *

Eric Roberson Eric Roberson is an American singer, songwriter, former rapper and music producer. He is sometimes referred to simply as Erro, the name which he later used as part of his label Blue Erro Soul. His first single, "Represent", was released through W ...

, ''Fire'' (Blue Erro Soul, 2017) * Adam Rogers, ''Dice'' (Adraj, 2017) * Karel Ruzicka, ''Grace & Gratitude'' (Animal Music, 2018) *

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

, ''

In the Blue Light ''In the Blue Light'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on September 7, 2018, through Legacy Recordings. The album consists of re-recordi ...

'' (Legacy 2018) *

Alex Sipiagin Alex Sipiagin (born June 11, 1967) is a Russian jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. Biography Sipiagin was born on June 11, 1967. He moved from Russia to the U.S. in 1990. His first major job in the U.S. was with the Gil Evans Band. He has pl ...

, ''Live at Smalls'' (Smalls, 2013) *

Somi Somi may refer to: * Gabriel Somi (born 1991), Swedish-born Syrian footballer * Jeon Somi (born 2001), Korean-Canadian singer * Somi (singer) (born 1981), American singer See also

* SomiSomi Soft Serve & Taiyaki, U.S based chain of dessert rest ...

, ''Petite Afrique'' (Okeh, 2017) * The Fearless Flyers, ''The Fearless Flyers'' (Vulf Records 2018), ''The Fearless Flyers II'' (Vulf Records 2019), ''Tailwinds'' (Vulf Records, 2020), ''The Fearless Flyers III'' (Vulf Records, 2022), ''The Fearless Flyers IV'' (Vulf Records, 2024), ''The Fearless Flyers V'' (Roundwound Media, 2025)

Equipment

Smith endorses

Zildjian The Avedis Zildjian Company, simply known as Zildjian (), is a musical instrument manufacturer specializing in cymbals and other percussion instruments. Founded by the ethnic Armenian Zildjian family in the 17th-century Ottoman Empire, the com ...

cymbals,

Ludwig drums Ludwig Drums is a United States musical instrument manufacturer, focused on percussion instruments, percussion. It is a subsidiary of Conn-Selmer. Products manufactured by Ludwig include timpani, drum kits, and drum hardware. The company also ...

, Vic firths sticks/mallets/beaters, and

Evans drumheads D'Addario () is a family-owned and operated American multinational company that specializes in musical instrument accessories, headquartered in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. D'Addario is the world’s largest musical instrument access ...

References

External links

Nate Smith – WWVT-FM interview
(2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Nate 1974 births Living people 21st-century American drummers African-American drummers American session musicians Drummers from Virginia 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians American male drummers