Putter Smith

Patrick Verne “Putter” Smith (born January 19, 1941) is an American jazz bassist, music teacher, author, and actor.

Smith was born in Bell, California, and began playing the bass at the age of eight, inspired by his older brother Carson Smith. He made his performing début aged 13 at the Compton Community Center.

Bass Master Putter Smith’s unique style got him to work with giants such as Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Diane Schuur, Lee Konitz, Bruce Forman, Jackie and Roy, Carmen McRae, Gary Foster, Art Farmer, Blue Mitchell, Erroll Garner, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Mason Williams, Percy Faith, Alan Broadbent, Walter Norris, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, The Manhattan Transfer, and Johnny Mathis. He also works as a session musician, playing on recordings by Sonny and Cher, The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers and many others.

Smith has also taught at the Musician’s Institute, and at the California Institute of the Arts.

Smith was playing with Monk at the Los Angeles jazz club Shelly’s Manne-Hole when he was spotted by director Guy Hamilton, who cast him as the assassin “Mr. Kidd” (alongside Bruce Glover as “Mr. Wint”) in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. He went on to have several other minor acting roles on film and television.

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