Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith (born February 20, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American composer, arranger, producer, vocalist and keyboardist who is Chicago-based. He is a current member of the rhythm and blues band known as the Chicago Catz. Biography Musical education and influences As a child, Smith always listened to the music around him, from church broadcasts with his grandmother to television shows like American Bandstand, Shindig!, Rock Concert, Midnight Special, and Lawrence Welk. On the radio, he heard jazz, country, rock & roll, classical and R&B. When he was about seven or eight a neighbor had a piano and Smith learned boogie-woogie in F sharp and "Heart & Soul" in C by ear. He started playing the saxophone in the fourth grade, when he learned to read music. He attended Thornwood High School, then Kishwaukee College and Northern Illinois University. Kevin's musical influences are Maurice Ravel, Clarence Wheeler, Chuck Mangione, Quincy Jones, Leonard Bernstein, James Brown, George Clinton, The Beatles, as well as the television shows Hee Haw, The Ed Sullivan Show, Hollywood Palace, The Gary Moore Show, and Jubilee Showcase.