Bio
Paul and Sheila Smith have been together making music for over 30
years, since first meeting in Hollywood in 1970 where they were both members
of the Moacir Santos group. Moacir is known to Brazilians as the Brazilian
Ellington. Sheila was the singer on Moacir's first U.S. release entitlted
"Maestro".
While in Los Angeles, Paul joined the Willie Bobo latin jazz group. Sheila
pursued her career as a singer and percussionist doing studio sessions,
performing with Mark Levine's latin jazz group and recording as a percussonist
with Stevie Wonder on his "Talking Book" album and his Grammy
award-winning "Innervisions" album.
They lived in Rio de Janeiro for seven months doing studio work, learning
Portuguese and doing club dates. Sergio Mendes helped them secure artist
visas when one of his early drummers returned to Brazil and booked them
in a small club on Copacabana Beach. During the 1980s they dropped out
to pursue other interests, living in Costa Rica where they had a bee-keeping
business.
They started performing again in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s,
recording a three C.D. trilogy with various trios and quartets. Their
last recording, "Chestnuts", is a collection of standards. Since
the trilogy recording, they have added a drummer in addition to Sheila's
percussion.
Paul has been touring with Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks for three years.
They are on the road about half the year, leaving time to pursue the quartet
with Sheila.
In 2001 Moacir Santos invited Sheila to perform on his 2-C.D. set recording
entitled "Ouro Negro" which has been released in Brazil, Japan,
and the U.S.
In 2004 Sheila was invited to record a spoken part with Mark Levine and
The Latin Tinge on the Grammy-nominated C.D. entitled "Isla".
And to finish off 2004, singer Maria Muldaur recorded Sheila's song, "Every
Day's a New Day" on her newly-released C.D. entitled "Love Wants
to Dance".
Sheila has always written. Paul and Sheila Smith are presently preparing
a two-set concert of all originals. Paul is also a lyricist.
Included on their first C.D., "Our Own Way", available on CDBaby.com,
are two of Paul's lyrics: John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice"
(retitled Without a Moment's Notice) and Dave Brubeck's "In Your
Own Sweet Way" (retitled In Your Own Way).
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