594 – Nate Smith: Creating Music in Real Time

This episode originally aired on February 13, 2017

Nate Smith, the Virginia native and current NYC resident, has been tearing up the scene for years but recently has been gaining more and more attention, mainly because of his use of social media. As someone who who has both an infectious groove and facility to wow the toughest of critics, Nate is quickly becoming a household name in for drummers around the world. Stemming from his work the great Betty Carter, Nate has since performed with luminaries like Dave Holland and Chris Potter, can be heard on Michael Jackson’s “Invincible” record and has written scores for documentaries for both The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. Interesting fact, he also made a brief appearance in “Birdman.”

“The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.” – (Tweet this)

Nate Smith talks about:

• How he got into playing drums
• The heavy marching band influence
• Why it’s important to play with records
• Vocalizing drum parts
• The effectiveness of recording your practice routine
• What practice means to him
• The art of playing melodically
• Applying the technical to drums and making it sound musical

Resources / Links / People mentioned:

• Contact Nate Smith: Website
• Nate Smith – Kinkfolk: Postcards from everywhere: Bandcamp | iTunes
• Betty Carter 
• Omar Hakim 
• Jimmy Smith 
• Steve Gadd 
• Dave Holland

Nate Smith Plays:

• Ludwig Drums
• Zildjian Cymbals
• Vater Drumsticks
• Evans Drumheads