Not to be missed–Warren Smith and others play Thetford Hill church
With his public performances becoming rare, this will be a special opportunity to get to hear, see, and appreciate Warren Smith.
Written by Sarah Sully
It’s going to be a busy weekend, but a not-to-be-missed opportunity is happening at the Thetford Hill Congregational church on Saturday June 14, at 1pm.
Nonagenarian Warren Smith will be joining Bill Cole, Ras Moshe, Taylor Ho Bynum, Bill Lowe, and Daniel Lin for a free concert to kick off the 2025 edition of Bill’s summer music series.
If you don’t know about Warren, here’s one bio. The list of artists with whom Warren has performed in his long career is way too long for this article, and is astonishing. One paragraph from said bio includes Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Roberta Flack, Janis Joplin (also serving as her musical director at the height of her career), Aretha Franklin, Ashford & Simpson, Marvin Gaye, Esther Phillips, Barbra Streisand, Tom Waits, Dionne Warwick, Harry Belafonte, Josephine Baker, Van Morrison, “and dozens of others.” And that’s just vocalists.
Warren has dedicated his whole life to music – performing, recording and teaching. He grew up in Chicago, with parents and a family who all played music. Many important artists of the time were regulars in the Smith household. He remembers running around the piano in their living room with his brother Frank, while artists such as Art Tatum were jamming. He was friends growing up with Melvin Van Peebles, who lived in the same apartment building.
Warren was part of the loft scene in New York City in the 1970’s and ‘80’s. Studio WIS, in the Chelsea neighborhood, was known not only as a place to hear and hang out with new artists, but also as a refuge where a musician might be found spending the night. We certainly heard some of the most creative music ever there.
There isn’t a genre of music that Warren hasn’t worked in. He spent years as a pit drummer on Broadway, and with classical ensembles too. His presence extends beyond the U.S., as he has toured and performed extensively around the world. While in Dakar, Senegal, Althea SullyCole (daughter of Bill Cole) happened to look through the books on music at the school where she was teaching, and there was Warren, in a children’s book, explaining drumming principles in a fun, colorful way. Children naturally take to Warren, and vice versa.
One can talk endlessly about Warren’s life and accomplishments. Yet the character of the man himself can’t be left out in describing him. A ready laugh, always a funny story at hand, sprightly and a heck of nice guy. And of course, a complete professional, whose word is his bond.
Warren and Bill met in 1970, at the University of Pittsburgh, at a scholarly symposium on jazz. They have been collaborating musically ever since.
With his public performances becoming rare, this will be a special opportunity to get to hear, see, and appreciate Warren. The concert will last approximately 1 hour.
Upcoming dates in this summer’s series are July 12, August 2, and September 6, and will add Joe Daley, Lisette Santiago, and in September Althea SullyCole playing kora.
Also new this summer, two additional concerts will take place in Claremont, on June 15 and September 7, both at 1:00. The group is excited to play at the innovative new arts venue, Claremont Creative Center.
Take a brief detour from the rest of your busy Saturday to hear Warren Smith and the group!
For more info, visit: https://billcole.org/front-porch-music-series