Stuff Smith

Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (August 14, 1909 – September 25, 1967), better known as Stuff Smith, was an American jazz violinist. He is well known for the song "If You're a Viper" (the original title was "You'se a Viper").

Smith was, along with Stéphane Grappelli, Michel Warlop, Svend Asmussen and Joe Venuti, one of jazz music's preeminent violinists of the swing era.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 14, 1909 (Portsmouth), Died September 25, 1967 (Munich)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1953

Roles Represented in DAHR: violin, composer, vocalist, lyricist, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-99447 10-in. 3/10/1936 I'se a muggin' Teagarden Boys ; Trumbauer Swing Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-99448 10-in. 3/10/1936 I'se a muggin' Teagarden Boys ; Trumbauer Swing Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-99776 10-in. 3/12/1936 I'se a-muggin' Mezz Mezzrow Swing Band ; Willie Smith Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-99777 10-in. 3/12/1936 I'se a-muggin' Mezz Mezzrow Swing Band ; Willie Smith Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-017452 10-in. 12/2/1937 It's wonderful Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Martha Tilton Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-017489 10-in. 12/9/1937 It's wonderful Shep Fields ; Bobby Goday ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-019621 10-in. 2/3/1938 It's wonderful Jack Leonard ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-057642 10-in. 11/13/1940 I met you then, I know you now Una Mae Carlisle Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Decca 62172 10-in. 5/4/1937 Twilight in Turkey Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys instrumentalist, violin  
Decca 62173 10-in. 5/4/1937 Where is the sun ? Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Decca 62174 10-in. 5/4/1937 Upstairs Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys instrumentalist, violin  
Decca 62175 10-in. 5/4/1937 Onyx Club spree Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Decca 84319 4/3/1953 Honeysuckle rose Stuff Smith instrumentalist, violin  
Decca 84320 4/3/1953 Too marvelous for words Stuff Smith instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24954 11/17/1943 Humoresque Stuff Smith Trio instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24955 10-in. 11/17/1943 I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you Stuff Smith Trio instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24956 11/17/1943 Minuet in swing Stuff Smith Trio vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24957 11/17/1943 The red jumps Stuff Smith Trio vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24958 11/17/1943 Melody in F Stuff Smith Trio vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24959 11/17/1943 She's funny that way Stuff Smith Trio instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24960 11/17/1943 To a wild rose Stuff Smith Trio instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24961 11/17/1943 Bugle call rag Stuff Smith Trio instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24962 10-in. 11/17/1943 Desert sands Stuff Smith Trio vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Decca C 24963 10-in. 11/17/1943 La cinquantaine Stuff Smith Trio instrumentalist, violin  
Decca 16349 10-in. 5/5/1930 After you've gone Alphonse Trent Orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Smith, Stuff," accessed May 28, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104695.

Smith, Stuff. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 28, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104695.

"Smith, Stuff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 28 May 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104695

External Sources

Wikipedia: Stuff Smith

Discogs: Stuff Smith

Allmusic: Stuff Smith

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Smith, Stuff - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n84157889

Wikidata: Stuff Smith - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1397171

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/5119063

MusicBrainz: Stuff Smith - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/144d2fce-f7a3-4275-b710-40a385e19554

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

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