You grew up in a musical household with jazz playing all the time. Can you recall your earliest musical memory?
Christy Smith: Listening to Ray Charles and his big band works. There was also Duke Ellington’s sound, the voice of Louis Armstrong, and whatever pop music was on the radio at that time.
When I was about six or seven, I first heard Stevie Wonder’s Fingertips, and I could just feel it. I knew that music was something that was important for the human spirit. Sergio Mendes’ Waters of March, Cast Your Fate to the Wind by Vince Guaraldi, and everything else. I was just influenced by the times.
How did you pick up the bass?
My mother played classical piano when I was young, and dad also had some training but played by ear. I saw a bass for the first time when I was three at my godfather’s house. He played Dixieland on the riverboat at Disneyland. I remember when I was five, a neighbour around the corner had a bass in the garage, and my friend and I tried to take it out. The lady drove up and I dropped my end and ran home. I just thought it belonged in my house.
When I transferred to Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Junior High School, which was new at that time, I knew new instruments were coming in for the orchestra and I was like “yeah, I’m gonna play that.”
You’re prominently known as a jazz bassist today. How did your experiences in the orchestra shape the type of musician you were going to be?
When I was in high school, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra came to my high school and I got a chance to sit with these guys while they performed Mozart’s The Magic Flute. I was ready for the classical influence on the double bass, because in turn I knew that was going to help me play whatever I wanted to play, on top of having really good teachers.
In high school, I auditioned for the production band that performed at the Hollywood Bowl every year and made the band several years in a row, so I got a lot of big band experience. I was pretty much open to all music, I didn’t have any doors closed. So I would never say I'm a classical or jazz guy, more so an artist. I just wanted to play some music. I don't like to just be pigeonholed as a jazz guy
What was it like growing up in Compton, Los Angeles in the ’60s and ’70s as a music-loving kid? Where did you go or what did you do to find or make music?
It was just everything. There were Motown hits coming out every week on the AM radio, and jazz on the FM radio. I’d hear bands rehearsing in the neighbourhood when I used to throw papers. If I heard anybody playing music, I was attracted to them. I saw people in the neighbourhood bringing on instruments and playing live music, I was just inspired by the sound of music.
Who are some bassists you look up to?
Pretty much all the bassists that I can think of. I started learning who the bassists were whenever they would announce them on the radio and would keep track of the names. I also used to read the liner notes and seams on albums. I’m influenced by Paul Chambers and Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, a little bit of Jaco and anybody else today that's influential.
