| Show All |
2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 |
| Putter Smith (2011) | |
|---|---|
| Patrick Smith got his nickname, "Putter", from the putt-putt (scooter) which he was said, as an overweight child, to resemble.
Born in Bell, California, it was perhaps inevitable that Putter would become a jazz bass player: he's the younger brother of Carson Smith, himself best-known for his work with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker (together and separately) and a part of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. In fact, Putter began to play on a half-size bass which Carson had left behind when he first went on the road, and in fact learned to play along with Gerry Mulligan-Chet Baker records. On the scene for half a century, he's a Southern California legend who has played with astonishing array of musicians: Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, Jackie & Roy, Carmen McRae, … He has also more than a few studio pop records such as the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations", Sonny & Cher, The Righteous Brothers, … In fact, it was while appearing with Monk at Shelly Manne's Manne Hole that Putter met the director for the 1971 James Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever". Three months later he had his first acting gig as the vaguely gay villain Mr Kidd: Kidd and the equally ambiguous Mr Wint, kill several drug smugglers before they fail to kill Bond; after they fail a second time to kill him, it's Bond who kills them. A big advocate for jazz education, Putter practices what he preaches by still practicing the bass every day. |
| Pick | Artist | Album | Song | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # 1 | Art Tatum | Willow, Weep for Me | Complete Capitol Recordings, Vol. 1 | Capitol |
| # 2 | Gerry Mulligan | The Best of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker | Walkin' Shoes | Blue Note |
| # 3 | Dave and Larry Koonse | Dialogues of the Heart | Django | Jazz Compass |
| # 4 | Lee Konitz and Gerry Mulligan | Konitz Meets Mulligan | Lover Man | Pacific Jazz |
| # 5 | Charlie Parker | Yardbird Suite | Bird of Paradise | Rhino |
| # 6 | Sonny Rollins | Saxophone Colossus | St Thomas | Prestige |
| # 7 | Thelonious Monk | The Unique Thelonious Monk | Just You, Just Me | OJC |
| # 8 | Miles Davis | 'Round Midnight | 'Round Midnight | Columbia |
| # 9 | Dory Caymmi | Dory Caymmi | Velho Piano | Elektra Musician |
| Book | "If I'm just going for a little time, ... a great Martin Amis book, perhaps 'London Fields'. But if I were stuck there, ... probably the works of Shakespeare." | |||
| Luxury Item | A TV | |||
| Tim Garland
26 Apr Nolan Gasser 14 Jun Ben Goldberg 01 Mar Lua Hadar 08 Mar | Molly Holm
19 Apr Remy Le Boeuf 15 Mar Michael Manring 31 May Stephanie Nakasian 18 Jan | Marlena Shaw
29 Mar Ben Sidran 12 Apr |