James Howard Smith (January 27, 1938 - September 17, 2024) was an American jazz drummer.
The cousin of Larry Young,[1] Smith was born in Newark, New Jersey.
He then played with: Benny Carter (1975, 1978, 1985), Sonny Criss (1975), Bill Henderson (1975, 1979), Hank Jones (1976), Ernestine Anderson (1976, 1986), Plas Johnson (1976), Phineas Newborn, Jr. (1976), Harry Edison (1976–78, with Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Zoot Sims), Lorez Alexandria (1977–78), Tommy Flanagan (1978), Terry Gibbs (1978, 1981), Bob Cooper (1979), Marshal Royal (1980), Great Guitars (1980), Barney Kessel (1981), Herb Ellis (1981), Buddy DeFranco (1981), Al Cohn (1983), Red Holloway (1987), and Dave McKenna (1988).
In 1977, Smith performed at the Montreux International Jazz Festival with Oscar Peterson, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie.
With Ernestine Anderson With Kenny Burrell With Benny Carter With Sonny Criss With Harry Edison With Tommy Flanagan With Jimmy Forrest With Dizzy Gillespie With Richard "Groove" Holmes With Milt Jackson With Etta Jones With Hank Jones With Barney Kessel With Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan With Gildo Mahones With Jimmy McGriff With Phineas Newborn, Jr. With Pony Poindexter With Jimmy Witherspoon With Larry Young