Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Marvin “Smitty” Smith was born on June 24, 1961 Waukegan, Illinois, son of a drumming father, exposing a young boy at a very young age. He began receiving formal musical training on drums at the age of three. An alumnus of Berklee, he has recorded over 200 albums including two as leader with a host of jazz contemporaries.

Marvin was the band drummer for the entire run of The Jay Leno show and from 1995 to 2009 sat in the drummer seat on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, returning at its incarnation in 2010.

In addition, his jazz endeavors have seen Smith touring with the likes of Dave Holland and Sonny Rollins as well as Sting and Willie Nelson among others. He has been a member of The New York Jazz Quartet and has a group with fellow Tonight Show band mate Kevin Eubanks.

Drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith is a frequent in-studio guest on The Loose Cannons sports radio show on KLAC in Los Angeles when the Tonight Show is on hiatus, and he continues to compose, play and tour.

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