Louis Smith briefly burst on the New York Jazz scene in the late 1950s. He recorded two magnificent albums for Blue Note(the second is the Jazz Feature tonight) and appeared as a sideman on several more for Blue Note and United Artists. He also was briefly a member of Horace Silver's Quintet replacing the departing Art Farmer. However for Louis and his family, security was important and the New York Jazz life was a risky business even back in the 50s. Smith, who had a university degree took a teaching post at The University of Michigan plus an extra gig teaching at high school in Ann Arbor. He didn't record again until 1978 and continued until early 2001. A stroke ended his playing career in 2006 but he still teaches and mentors young players in the Detroit area. Tonight's Jazz Feature is Smith's second date for Blue Note in March 1958. It's a solid, swinging date with a great cast with pre-Monk Charlie Rouse who is on fire here on tenor saxophone with a powerhouse rhythm section with Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums. Several Smith originals and heard plus a couple of standards and a Charlie Parker tune called "Au Privave". This is a solid representation of Louis Smith's great talents and Jazz music as it was in swingin' New York in the 1950s.

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