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Damon Smith

Damon Smith is an American double bassist working in free improvisation, born in Spokane, Washington, in 1972. He grew up in eastern Washington and moved to Oakland in the mid-1980s. He started on electric bass, drawn in by Mike Watt of the Minutemen, then moved to the double bass after hearing Peter Kowald. In 2001 he founded the label Balance Point Acoustics, which has released much of his work. Damon Smith studied with Bertram Turetzky, Lisle Ellis, Bill Douglas and Kristin Zerneg. He has played with Cecil Taylor, Peter Brötzmann, Marshall Allen, John Tchicai, Fred Frith and Jim O'Rourke, and with Henry Kaiser on more than ten records, among them Plane Crash (2009). He took part in the soundtracks to Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World. Other records include Healing Force with Vinny Golia (Cuneiform, 2007), Earth's Orbit with William Hooker (NoBusiness, 2010) and Winter Solos (2019).

Damon Smith is an American double bassist working in free improvisation, born in Spokane, Washington, in 1972. He grew up in eastern Washington and moved to Oakland in the mid-1980s. He started on electric bass, drawn in by Mike Watt of the Minutemen, then moved to the double bass after hearing Peter Kowald. In 2001 he founded the label Balance Point Acoustics, which has released much of his work. Damon Smith studied with Bertram Turetzky, Lisle Ellis, Bill Douglas and Kristin Zerneg. He has played with Cecil Taylor, Peter Brötzmann, Marshall Allen, John Tchicai, Fred Frith and Jim O'Rourke, and with Henry Kaiser on more than ten records, among them Plane Crash (2009). He took part in the soundtracks to Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World. Other records include Healing Force with Vinny Golia (Cuneiform, 2007), Earth's Orbit with William Hooker (NoBusiness, 2010) and Winter Solos (2019).

Duals
"In this 3-CD set each disc contains one duo session between the three musicians: trombone-bass, piano-bass and piano-trombone. Recorded over the course of Bishop's last year of residency in Boston and soon after Smith had moved to St. Louis, these recordings capture a glimpse of the city's creative music scene at a particularly active time between 2016-22, when, the three musicians interacted frequently in many settings in the Boston area. The Smith/Bishop disc consists of all improvised music,…
Groundwater Recharge
*2023 stock* "Explorative improvisation, from mysteriously quiet moments to scrabbling and determined conversation, configured as trios and quintets by Rebecca Novak on piano, cornet, radio & glassware, Danny Kamins on baritone saxophone, Sandy Ewen on guitar, Damon Smith on double bass and Jerome Bryerton on percussion, all bringing unique moments through extended techniques, objects & radio. "Groundwater recharge is an important water management practice in California. ... Recharge can also h…
The Eternity-Cult
*2023 stock* "A blend of intonation and improvisation, The Eternity-Cult is a harmonies-across-the-seas program featuring the trumpet and objects of Birgit Ulher from Northern Germany with the double bass (Damon Smith) and percussion and electronics (Chris Cogburn) from the southern US. Despite geographical distances the three are equally committed to free-from improvisation. This disc's single 37-minute track finds the trio exploring textures and pitches from minimalist to embellished, while ma…
Fire Point
Tip! *Edition of 100.* Fire Point is multicolored and elusive. The sounds contained therein are agitated, fluid and amorphous, as if listening to the sonic realizations of various characteristics of multiple landscapes. Branches intersect, tree foliage collectively billows, and groundwater seeps into the encompassing substrate. The interactions of these three musicians are effortless, and is the result of both remote and physically-collaborative engagements. Starting with percussion tracks laid …
The Very Cup of Trembling
** First pressing glass mastered edition of 500 copies. Cinderblocks, safety glass, enfolded glass etched with text ** “Often, when finding titles for improvised music I go through poetry that I feel might have some relation to the way the music turned out. I look for two or three word phrases that capture something related. I think of this as “consulting a professional” when it comes to titles. When it came time for these titles, I found myself reaching for Fred Moten’s fantastic book “The Feel…
Room of the Present
Fundacja Słuchaj! presents Room of the Present by Guillermo Gregorio, Damon Smith and Jerome Bryerton. Recorded by Todd Carter, Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago 2007 & 2008. Mixed & mastered by Ryan Edwards. "Madipiece 1," "Madipiece 2," "Coplanar 1+2," "Moholy 2," and "Otra Musica 4b." by Guillermo Gregroio, Copyright Guillermo Gregorio "Cards" by Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble Of Chicago Publishing Co. Ascap. This album is structured around two performances of Guillermo Gregorio’s graphic scor…
Life's Intense Mystery
**500 copies** Performing live at Lily Pad in Cambridge, MA, the trio of free jazz piano legend Burton Greene with bassist Damon Smith and drummer Ra Kalam Bob Moses, in six collective improvisations, with impressive playing from all three as they segway through the three parts of Life's Intense Mystery, taking exploratory moments and even some Kid Play in between.
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