Born in Bristol, England, Smith studied aeronautical design at the North Staffordshire Technical Institute, and played drums and trumpet in England, before moving to Toronto in 1963 when he became the art director of CODA, a jazz music magazine.
[2] While working at CODA, Smith began seriously studying and performing jazz as a saxophonist and clarinetist in Toronto.
[3] Smith performed in London in April 1983 as "Four Nights of Canadian Improvised Music" with fellow Canadian saxophonist, Maury Coles, starting at the Seven Dials Jazz Club, Covent Garden, run by Matthew Wright of Ray's Jazz Shop.
Other musicians involved included Jim Dvorak, Roger Turner, Ollie Blanchflower, Marcio Mattos, Eddie Prevost, Elton Dean and Harrison Smith (no relation).
In 1989, Smith moved the editorial offices of CODA to Hornby Island, northwest of Vancouver, and thereafter played saxophone and drums locally.