Walter Smith III

People clapped, and I figured if I could get away with that and get applause, how could I fail?” Smith has developed under the wings of many of the music’s greats. Walter is/has been a member of several influential groups (recording and/or touring), including the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band, Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harland's “Voyager”, Bill Stewart Trio, Jason Moran’s In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, the Christian McBride “Situation”, Marquis Hill “New Gospel Revisited”, Gerald Clayton Quintet, Christian Scott group, and the Sean Jones Quintet to name a few. Smith has performed worldwide, participating in virtually every international festival and famed venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, and the Kennedy Center. In addition, he has shared the stage and/or appeared on recordings with many important artists including Mulgrew Miller, Billy Childs, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Maria Schneider, Ron Carter, Ralph Peterson, and a host of others. To date, Walter has appeared on over 100 recordings that have been released worldwide.