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		IAJE MICHIGAN * Jazz Alert * Legendary Michigan jazz trumpeter Louis Smith celebrates release of two historic CD's; 1958 Newport Jazz Festival tapes uncovered Musical treasures unveiled at Borders CD release party April 6 benefits University of Michigan Aphasia Program ANN ARBOR -- Michigan jazz great Louis Smith was sidelined by a stroke and aphasia in 2005 which robbed him of his ability to play his trumpet.  However, Smith is making history and the brilliant sound of his horn will live again.  A new CD Horace Silver, Live at Newport '58, is being released from tapes recently uncovered from the Newport Jazz Festival by Blue Note Records, where Smith performed with Horace Silver, a renowned jazz pianist and composer.    In support of this special CD issue, Borders is hosting a Louis Smith CD Release Party at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at their downtown Ann Arbor retail store, 612 E. Liberty, to benefit the University of Michigan Aphasia Program (UMAP), which has helped Smith adjust to life with aphasia.  "Louis is thriving in all forms of therapy, but he especially enjoys music therapy," said Joanne Marttila Pierson, Ph.D., associate director, UMAP.  "Last year, Louis sang at our 60th anniversary celebration.  His dedication, hard work and talent are truly inspirational.  We are honored that Louis and his wife, LuLu, have graciously included UMAP as part of this very special occasion."   "We are pleased to join Louis and his wife, LuLu, to share his legendary music with the public," said Brandon Coats, multimedia national events specialist, Borders Group Inc. Smith's first Blue Note record as a leader Here Comes Louis Smith, originally recorded in 1957, has been reissued and also will be available. A recent review of Horace Silver, Live at Newport '58 by Piotr Michalowski of the Southeastern Michigan Jazz Assocation (SEMJA) states, "On these tracks Louis plays with endless invention, his long melodic lines and perfect resolutions reminiscent of Clifford Brown, but with a tone all his own, touched with a bit of Fats Navarro's lovely bite.  You can sense how he is reacting to the energy of the rest of the band, as he improvises chorus after chorus of classic hard bop trumpet.  Smith was already then a sensitive interpreter of ballads, as evidenced by his other early recordings, but here he revels in the up-tempo settings provided by the leader, demonstrating his seemingly endless improvisational resources."    "...All of Louis Smith's fans and friends will revel in this discovery, but he is in such good company that one can safely predict that this will remain as one of the classic albums of its time," added Michalowski.   Smith had an extraordinary dual career as both a bop trumpeter and teacher.  He has performed at numerous venues including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Grande Parade du Jazz (Nice, France), St. Petersburg, Moscow, Paris, the Netherlands, and the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival.  He has presented workshops and clinics in Montreux, Switzerland, Tubingen, Germany and numerous colleges and schools in the United States.  For many years, Smith taught in the Ann Arbor Public School System and at the University of Michigan.  During his teaching career, Smith continued his interest in jazz through live performances, recording sessions, jazz workshops and clinics.    Over the years, Smith had opportunities to play with Thad Jones, Barry Harris, Elvin Jones, Duke Pearson, Wynton Kelly, Phineas Newborn, Jr., Jamil Nasser, Cannonball Adderly (a.k.a. Buckshot La Funke), Doug Watkins, Art Taylor, Duke Jordan, and Tommy Flanagan, among many others. About aphasia Stroke is the leading cause of aphasia; however, it also can result from brain tumors, head injuries, brain infections, and other conditions of the brain.  People with aphasia know what they want to say but cannot always get out the words.  Aphasia can affect talking, understanding, reading and writing.  Memory and thinking also can be reduced.  An estimated one million Americans of all ages suffer from aphasia.    About the University of Michigan Aphasia Program (UMAP) UMAP was established in 1947 to assist World War II veterans who sustained injuries in combat.  UMAP offers an intensive therapy regimen unlike most aphasia programs in the country.  The program has successfully treated thousands of individuals with aphasia.  UMAP's intensive program provides its clients with as much therapy during a six-week session as a person would receive in one year of traditional therapy.  For more information about UMAP, please visit www.aphasiahelp.com.     *  *  *  *  * Top

 
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