Buster Smith

A talented alto saxophonist and an arranger/composer who probably wrote "One O'Clock Jump" (although Count Basie received the credit), Buster Smith's contributions to jazz are difficult to assess because he was under-recorded throughout his career. Charlie Parker often acknowledged Smith's influence on his tone, and the few early recordings of the older altoist do show some similarity (although Bird's style would become much more advanced); Parker played in Smith's band in 1937. Buster Smith was a fixture in Kansas City for the bulk of his most significant years. He was with ...