Twice winner of the Melody Maker Music Polls, Smith spent the early 1960s playing with the Tony Lee Trio, before becoming Scott Walker's musical director and accompanying The Walker Brothers on their Japan tour in 1968.

Returning to the UK, he recorded a solo album, Fall Out (1968),[1] which was produced by Scott Walker, and backed by UK jazz musicians of the day such as Kenny Wheeler, Les Condon, Ronnie Ross, Ronnie Stephenson, Gordon Beck, Ron Mathewson, Chris Karan, and Ray Warleigh.

In 1969, he teamed up with saxophonists Dick Morrissey and Dave Quincy, also members of Jackson's band, to form the pioneering British jazz-rock group If.

[1][2] Around that time he also appeared with Morrissey and other top British jazz musicians on Brother Jack McDuff's Blue Note recording To Seek a New Home (1970).

In 1981, Smith formed his own Blues Band in 1982 with Jo Ann Kelly (vocals), Tony Ashton (organ) and Micky Waller (drums).