Nate Smith is a Grammy-nominated polymath musician – bandleader, composer, producer and drum virtuoso.
The artist has just confirmed all these qualities with the release of a new album, entitled “Live Action.” The album features guest appearances by the following musicians: Josh Johnson and Marquis Hill (horn section), rapper JSWISS, Charlie Hunter and Lionel Loueke (guitars), Michael League and Ben Williams (bass), DJ Harrison and Keifer (keyboards), vocal quartet Säje, and Jermaine Holmes and Lalah Hathaway (vocals).
This is what Smith says about his new release: “It was a way to activate all of these relationships that I’ve been building over the last five or six years since the pandemic, many of them through social media. […] I wanted to make a record that sounded like it was recorded on a cassette in my bedroom,” he says. “I limited my options. I used analog gear. I used the same instruments throughout the album. I did two or three takes of each element, no copy and pastes or anything like that. All of the instruments on the album are played live, nothing is programmed or sequenced.”
Nate Smith was born in Norfolk, Virginia (USA) in 1974 and was already performing at the age of 20 playing drums at New York’s Blue Note club. Smith began his career as a professional songwriter and producer in 2001 with the song “Heaven Can Wait” by Michael Jackson. In 2003, he joined Dave Holland’s jazz band and toured with them around the world, and in 2008 he began his recording career, first as a solo artist and later with his band Kinfolk.
Smith has recorded and/or performed live with the likes of Brittany Howard, Paul Simon, Pat Metheny, Ravi Coltrane, Van Hunt, Childish Gambino, Norah Jones, Jon Batiste, Vulfpeck, Lauren Daigle, The Fearless Flyers, Chris Potter, Kiefer, Carrtoons, Charlie Hunter or Kurt Elling.
He has been featured on the cover of the Modern Drummer magazine, and worked as the drummer for the Late Night with Seth Meyers’ house band.
Smith has two Grammy nominations to his credit: for his Kinfolk album “Postcards from Everywhere” in 2017, and as a member of Dave Holland’s octet in 2011.
Nate Smith is also a popular educator with two publications to his credit: “Pocket Change” (2018) and “Pocket Change 2: Mad Currency” (2023). They are a combination of CDs and transcription books.
He is endorsed by the following brands: Zildjian, Ludwig, Evans, Fic Firth.
Later this month, Nate Smith embarks on a tour in support of the album. Here’s when you can catch him:
SEP 20 SAT
Kentucky Theatre @ 8:30 PM
Lexington, KY, United States
SEP 23 TUE
Epstein Family Amphitheater @ 7:30 PM
San Diego, CA, United States
SEP 26 FRI
Chautauqua Auditorium @ 7:30 PM
Boulder, CO, United States
SEP 27 SAT
Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom @ 7:00 PM
Denver, CO, United States
SEP 29 MON
Jazz Is Dead @ Lodge Room @ 8:00 PM
Los Angeles, CA, United States
OCT 2 THU
Neptune Theatre @ 8:00 PM
Seattle, WA, United States
OCT 3 FRI
The Get Down Music Venue @ 7:30 PM
Portland, OR, United States
OCT 4 SAT
Yoshi’s @ 7:30 PM
Oakland, CA, United States
OCT 4 SAT
Yoshi’s @ 9:30 PM
Oakland, CA, United States
OCT 5 SUN
Yoshi’s @ 7:00 PM
Oakland, CA, United States
OCT 8 WED
City Winery Boston @ 6:30 PM
Boston, MA, United States
OCT 8 WED
City Winery Boston @ 9:30 PM
Boston, MA, United States
OCT 10 FRI
The Hamilton Live @ 8:00 PM
Washington, DC, United States
OCT 11 SAT
Perelman Theater @ 7:30 PM
Philadelphia, PA, United States
OCT 12 SUN
Sony Hall @ 8:00 PM
New York, NY, United States
OCT 14 TUE
High Noon Saloon @ 8:00 PM
Madison, WI, United States
OCT 16 THU
The Promontory @ 8:00 PM
Chicago, IL, United States
OCT 17 FRI
Space @ 8:00 PM
Evanston, IL, United States
OCT 18 SAT
The Basement East @ 8:00 PM
Nashville, TN, United States
NOV 6 THU
Sala Villanos @ 7:30 PM
Madrid, Spain
NOV 6 THU
Sala Villanos @ 10:00 PM
Madrid, Spain
NOV 8 SAT
Lucerna Music Bar @ 7:00 PM
Prague, Czech Republic
NOV 9 SUN
Sono Centrum @ 7:30 PM
Brno, Czech Republic
NOV 11 TUE
Paradiso Noord @ 7:00 PM
Amsterdam, Netherlands
NOV 11 TUE
Paradiso Noord @ 9:30 PM
Amsterdam, Netherlands
NOV 12 WED
Gretchen @ 7:30 PM
Berlin, Germany
NOV 14 FRI
New Morning @ 6:30 PM
Paris, France
NOV 14 FRI
New Morning @ 9:30 PM
Paris, France
NOV 16 SUN
Koko @ 7:00 PM
London, United Kingdom
NOV 29 SAT
Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club @ 7:30 PM
Portsmouth, NH, United States
NOV 30 SUN
Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club @ 7:30 PM
Portsmouth, NH, United States
DEC 11 THU
Vivarium @ 8:00 PM
Milwaukee, WI, United States
DEC 12 FRI
Iowa City, IA @ 7:00 PM
Iowa City, IA, United States
DEC 12 FRI
Iowa City, IA @ 9:00 PM
Iowa City, IA, United States
DEC 13 SAT
Fine Line @ 8:30 PM
Minneapolis, MN, United States
MAR 26 THU
Big Ears Festival 2026 @ 8:00 PM
Knoxville, TN, United States
Nate Smith’s official website: https://www.natesmithdrums.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/natesmithdrums
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natesmithdrums
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@natesmithdrumsofficial
X: https://x.com/natesmithdrums
Official Zildjian website: https://zildjian.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Zildjian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zildjiancompany/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ZildjianCompany
Official Ludwig website: https://www.ludwig-drums.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/LudwigDrumsHQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ludwigdrumshq/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@LudwigDrumsHQ
Official Vic Firth website: https://vicfirth.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/vicfirth.company
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicfirth/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@VicFirthCompany
Official Evans Drumheads website: https://www.daddario.com/products/percussion/evans-drumheads/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/evansdrumheads
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evansdrumheads/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@EvansDrumheadsOfficial
X: https://x.com/evansdrumheads
