All Strings Considered - Richard Smith

NOTE: iTunes was having some trouble updating the podcast or the last few weeks but that issue seems to be resolved now.

In the latest All Strings Considered podcast Scott Wolf talks with Richard Smith. Scott has been telling me about this interview and some of the apparently radical things Smith has to say about the role(s) music these days, so I’m really looking forward to hearing this one.

From Scott:
“This episode of All Strings Considered departs slightly from the nylon string world to explore contemporary styles with guitarist Richard Smith (although you will hear some nylon string playing from Italian Francesco Buzzurro on their collaborative album). When I met Richard, he was the department chair of the Studio/Jazz Guitar department at USC, and along with USC’s fairly new Popular Music program, Smith has since refocused his teaching duties from jazz to emphasize more contemporary and popular music styles. We will reap the benefits of that popular music knowledge here today, as he will give us some great songwriting advice. Smith’s forte is in smooth jazz and jazz fusion and he utilizes this genre to explore a great variety of styles, his latest being Argentine tango with a healthy dose of electronica. You’ll also hear him discuss the bad rap given to smooth jazz, along with some incredibly poignant suggestions for those determined to pursue a career in music.”

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