Gary McILwain
Level Bands/ Performing Artists
Genre Jazz/Fusion
Bio “Guitarist Ronny Smith’s mellow tone, subtle creativity, and ability to groove over catchy rhythms have made him an increasingly popular force in contemporary jazz”. Scott Yanow, Author (The Jazz Singers, Bebop, Trumpeter Kings, Jazz On Film, and Jazz On Record). Grammy considered guitarist Ronny Smith left the University of Maryland as a music education major to pursue life as a guitarist and a U.S. Army Bandsman. He toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and South America. He has shared the stage with such artists as the Marvelettes, jazz drummer Bobby Durham, and trumpeter Donald Byrd. He has recorded with some of the top session musicians of the Nashville and the California scene, including, Gary Lunn (Peter Cetera), Pat Coil (Michael McDonald), Craig Nelson (Ben Tankard), and Dan Needham (Euge Groove), Scott Martin and Stan Martin (Quincy Jones) and Andy Martin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat band). In 2009 Ronny was signed to Pacific Coast Jazz record label and soon after released his 5th project, “Just Groovin” and “Shake it up” his seventh release, which is spinning internationally, and soon to go for adds nationally. In 2013, under the Creative Soul Next Level Jazz label, Ronny released “Can’t Stop Now” Ronny’s sixth release as a solo artist, which features the fantastic singles, “Slim Pickin” and, “City Groove”. “City Groove”, quickly became #1 on Billboards’ BDS New & Active SMOOTH JAZZ chart listing. Shortly after that, rose to become #25 on Billboards’ BDS radio SMOOTH JAZZ NATIONAL AIRPLAY top 30 charts. Ronny’s additional discography includes, “Simply Stated”, his 4th release, which featured the single “Bossa Awhile”, “Got groove”, the 3rd release, “Laid Back”, the 2nd release, and “Long Time Comin”. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I wake with a start and wonder if any guitar-based contemporary instrumental music would ever have been created if George Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Joe Pass had never been born. After hearing the first few seconds of Ronny Smith’s “Bossa Awhile,” which leads off his sparkling new CD, you’ll note the influences from this troika of geniuses and know that their legacies are in good hands. -Brian Soergel, Jazz Times
Website http://www.ronnysmith.com/