Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1997 | 11:01 a.m.
Versatile jazz bassist Carson Smith, who played for such legends as Charlie "Birdman" Parker, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong in a career that spanned nearly half a century, has died in Las Vegas. He was 66.
Smith, a 40-year Las Vegas resident who wrote the jazz instrumentals "Carson City Stage," "Shirley" and "Jonalah," died Sunday at Nathan Adelson Hospice. He was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, but continued to play occasional gigs with all-star jazz groups until early this year.
"The thing that set Carson Smith apart from many other jazz bassists was that he played all forms of jazz as well as other styles of music," said Joe Delaney, longtime SUN entertainment columnist, a trumpeter and a former jazz record producer.
"While many jazz bassists tend to specialize, Carson played straight four-four (jazz talk for four beats to the measure), swing, Dixieland and bop -- and he played them all well."
Delaney recalled that when Ella Fitzgerald performed at the Flamingo, she would go into the old Silver Slipper lounge between shows and do a set with the Charlie Teagarden Quartet, which featured Teagarden on trumpet, Smith on bass, Tom Montgomery on drums and Gene Mancuso, the last surviving member, on piano.
"They'd ask her what key, she'd hum a little, and they followed -- it was all impromptu," said Delaney, noting that when several major performers came to town, they requested Smith to back them up in Strip showroom bands.
He played nearly every lounge in town and toured the world several times.
At Smith's request, there will be no services. Instead, the Carson Smith Memorial Concert will be held 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Horn Auditorium at the Community College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne Avenue campus.
Among the performers to pay tribute to Smith will be the Tom Ferguson Trio, Billy Root, the Vinnie Tano Quartet, Arno Marsh and the Tenor Bag, the Marv Koral All Stars and several jazz bassists, including Smith's brother, Putter Smith, of Pasadena, Calif.
Admission will be $10, with all proceeds going to help Smith's family. The musicians will perform for free.
Smith last performed several months ago at the Manhattan Cafe on Flamingo Road with Marv Koral's All Stars, featuring Carl Fontana, Santo Savino and Mancuso.
His last recording, a compact disc called "Bouncing at the Bank Club," with guitarist Dempsey Wright, tenor saxophonist Jack Montrose, drummer Bill Moody and Mancuso was released earlier this year. It was recorded locally at LP Sound Studio.
"My husband was a fine musician who played to his utmost -- what else can be said?" said Shirley (nee Phillippi) Smith, his second wife who met him in 1962 and married him in 1973. Smith's song "Shirley" is named for her.
"He loved working with the best musicians in Las Vegas and he loved the music. But, he was discouraged in recent years because with all of the rock, rap and country, there are so few places to play jazz anymore."
Born Carson Raymond Smith on Jan. 9, 1931, in San Francisco, Smith started playing bass at Bell High School in Bell, Calif. After graduating, he went on the road with Parker, Armstrong and others.
Smith's bass can be heard on such jazz albums as "Lady Autumn" with Holiday and the "Best of Jerry Mulligan Quartet."
He also performed on the "Clifford Brown All Stars" album and on a 1989 reunion album with Chico Hamilton.
Smith also toured with trumpeter Chet Baker and drummer Buddy Rich, among others.
Although he would, on occasion, play an electric bass, Smith much preferred the large, old-fashioned upright instrument.
In addition to his wife and brother, Smith is survived by two sons, Carson Smith III of Albuquerque, N.M., and Sean Phares of Las Vegas; three daughters, Melanie McGuire of Reno and Dana Smith and Heather Poulos, both of Las Vegas; and six grandchildren.
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