The McQuarry Organ Trio at the Cadillac
“This afternoon Concerts at the Cadillac hosted a performance by the McQuarry Organ Trio. This group is led by Steve McQuarry, who took a turn at the Patricia Walkup Memorial Piano before moving over to his electronic organ (complete with pedal keyboard). He was joined by guitarist David McFarland and drummer E. Doctor Smith. The group was inspired by the first generation of The Tony Williams Lifetime, in which jazz drummer Tony Williams teamed up with John McLaughlin on electric guitar and Larry Young on organ. However, while Williams’ group was primarily fusion, with influences from both heavy rock and funk, McQuarry’s tastes ran more to straight-ahead jazz.
Indeed, the group began by honoring the past with a performance of Miles Davis’ “So What,” incorporating the introduction composed by Gil Evans and the piano work of Bill Evans. Nevertheless, the lion’s share of the one-hour set tended to feature McFarland’s guitar work. The set included two of his original compositions, “Reflection”, “Spectrum” and “Dave Walks In” basically honored McFarland joining up with McQuarry and Smith.
McFarland’s capacity for invention tended to involve extended melodic lines, which seemed to soar above any need for a tonal center. (There was more than a little of McLaughlin’s influence there.) This allowed McQuarry to accompany through techniques of superposition, rather than worrying about how to harmonize those lines. Smith’s work with his drum kit (which did not include the Drummstick he invented) tended to go for subtlety unless it was clear that he was taking the lead. When he did so, he could work out driving rhythms whose repetitions were never quite identical. This all made for a highly engaging hour of “basic jazz” with a comfortable ring of familiarity but with very little trace of appropriation of anyone else’s content or style…” -Stephen Smoliar, The Rehearsal Studio
“FutureJazz” Live at Glen Park Station
“Edgetone was once called a "surprise label" by Aiding & Abetting, and I've always enjoyed that moniker. One trick ponies need not apply. Eric Smith, aka E. Doctor Smith has created another fusion gem with Peter McKibben and flautist Laura Austin Wiley! The real deal!” -Rent Romus, Edgetone Records
E. Doctor Smith – “Quantum” – [Edgetone Records]
"All instrumental. Sort of a jazz fusion project but not really. Bandleader Smith plays the Zendrum electronic drum system in basically a trio format with a guitarist and bassist, and there are a couple of guests doing cameos on trumpet and guitar synth. Releases on the fine Edgetone Records label tend to be filed in KFJC’s jazz library, and this one will as well because it does strike me as something from the heavier rock/fusion end of the jazz spectrum. It’s an interesting lineup: Smith’s Zendrum electronic drum-trigger device is pretty rad, and bassist Tom Shiben is all about playing Rickenbackers, to my ears an excellent sound but very un-jazz-like. And then there’s guitarist Jack Wright who can shred like crazy and shines throughout the record. This often has a mid-80s King Crimson vibe or maybe one of those Bruford/Levin/Torn projects. And that’s good stuff. Shiben and Wright composed most of the material. I really got into this…" - Max Level 1/20/2014
"Quantum" Live at San Francisco's Hotel Utah
"Caught a great gig by E. Doctor Smith (aka today's birthday boy) at Hotel Utah in SF last night. The master of the Zendrum performed music from his new CD Quantum, along with guitarist Jack Wright and bassist Tom Shiben. Excellent stuff crisscrossing prog, avant, funk and fusion territory. Learn more here: http://edoctorsmith.com/ (and happy birthday dude!)" -Anil Prasad, Innerviews.
"Besides the blending of a pile of complementary styles, this collaborative release by inventive drummer and percussionist E.Doctor Smith, former collaborator of big names such as Brian Eno, Madonna's co-writer Stephen Bray and the bassist Edo Castro, is an appreciable parade of guitars and remarkable tools for sound synthesis. On "Quantum", which mainly focuses on the declension of progressive rock by skilled guitarist Jack Wright (such as the two parts of "Progress" or "PsychoBilly", taken from Quantum Kids' past repertory together with other tracks of this release), Smith's mate in the band which got named after his percussion controller Drummstick, as well as on guitar-driven celestial ambient mellow suites ("Ambience for the Active Subconscious Mind", the final "Blue Moon" or "Kodo", which features the heavenly trumpet by Eric Dahlman and String Rickenbacher basses by Tom Shiben) and "funkier" spurts ("The Eight", "Test Drive" or "Angular Momentum"), Smith embellishes each track by means of the enhanced drumming dynamics of the brand new Zendrum EXP MIDI percussion controller that David Haney of the Zendrum Corporation provided to him by enhancing a model, whose design got inspired by notorious Jimi Hendrix's Fender Stratocaster he already designed. Even if he mainly explores genres which could sound a little bit out of context in regars to the ones we usually speak about, the contribution of this additive by Doctor E.Smith, which sometimes seems to chase tonal acceleration on guitar strings, is quite recognizable and the coalescence of otherworldly sounds is so brilliant that it managed to draw our attention. Check it out!" - Vito Camarretta, Chain D.L.K.
All instrumental. Sort of a jazz fusion project but not really. Bandleader Smith plays the Zendrum electronic drum system in basically a trio format with a guitarist and bassist, and there are a couple of guests doing cameos on trumpet and guitar synth. Releases on the fine Edgetone Records label tend to be filed in KFJC’s jazz library, and this one will as well because it does strike me as something from the heavier rock/fusion end of the jazz spectrum. It’s an interesting lineup: Smith’s Zendrum electronic drum-trigger device is pretty rad, and bassist Tom Shiben is all about playing Rickenbackers, to my ears an excellent sound but very un-jazz-like. And then there’s guitarist Jack Wright who can shred like crazy and shines throughout the record. This often has a mid-80s King Crimson vibe or maybe one of those Bruford/Levin/Torn projects. And that’s good stuff. Shiben and Wright composed most of the material. I really got into this. - Max Level, KFJC 89.7 fm
Doc is featured in the November 2013 Issue of digitalDrummer!
"Not only is he a great drummer, but E. Doctor Smith is also a bit of an inventor. However, when he saw the Zendrum, he gave up on his own invention and showed his genius on the new instrument." -Allan Leibowitz, Editor digitalDrummer.
"My electronic musical journey began back in the ‘80s when I started programming sequencers, computers, and drum machines with my friend Stephen Bray, who was writing songs and working with Madonna in New York, then in LA. I also experimented with a Dynacord Rhythm Stick they had lying around. I was a big fan of Bill Bruford’s drumming and the Simmons electronic drums that he used in his groups Earthworks and King Crimson. I was really excited to get my hands on a basic 5-piece Simmons SDS9 kit, then to add 6 more pads, a Roland PM-16 interface, a Yamaha TX-7, and an Alesis HR16. I used that kit on and off until 1995, when I made my first Drummstick.
Some musical friends, who had once opened for Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and knew about my e-drumming, asked me if I’d ever thought about creating a “drumitar” like Futureman had done with his Synthaxe. While mulling the idea over, I remembered having seen singer Bobby McFerrin tapping on his torso during a duet with Wayne Shorter, which had conjured up images of how Alphonso Johnson and Tony Levin approached the Chapman Stick. That was the inspiration for the design of the Drummstick, a 2” x 6’ piece of oak with 16 triggers that would be played vertically. I went to Radio Shack and a to music store to buy parts, and a few weeks later, the Drummstick was born. Since then, I have played the Dummstick and toured with a number of bands and recorded several albums on the Edgetone Records label in the SF Bay Area where I live. I’ve been honored to have had some great jams with some amazing folks—Bon Lozago, Howard Levy, and Bill Kirchen, to name just a few!
I first saw a Zendrum at a NAMM show back in the ‘90s and thought it was great, but I still preferred the ergonomics of the Drummstick. One day, a friend surprised me with a maple ZX he’d just bought, and happily let me program it and try it out. The first thing I did was to flip it up vertically, so I could play it the way I play the Drummstick. Although the straps weren't in the right places, it worked well enough. After 20 minutes or so, I'd programmed the ZX to a playable level. It was so incredibly responsive. I immediately loved it.
In 2007, I finally made the switch. The Zendrum Corporation’s David Haney built a beautiful, black “Jimi Hendrix ZX” for me, which was modeled after Hendrix’s Fender Stratocaster. After I replaced the strap locks, so that I could play it vertically, it worked like a charm. When Haney and John Emrich announced the new Zendrum, “EXP”, in late spring, I took a look at it, saw that it had been redesigned to allow greater left hand trigger access and to be worn vertically, and I knew I had to have one. I bought the first ever production model, and it’s been a dream come true.
Live, I’m a hybrid of new school meets old school, so I use a MacBook Pro with BFD2 and GarageBand for my basic kits, along with an Alesis DMPro. I also use iDrum to trigger my pre-recorded samples. My rigs vary depending on the size of the venue, and my sound is fed into either a Fast Track Ultra 8R, a Tascam US-1800, or PreSonus USB/MIDI interface. I use either an Alesis iMultiMix 9R or a Mackie mixer and a pair of Mackie SRM450s. For recording, I mostly use GarageBand, Logic, and ProTools. I also enjoy using Darin Kadrioski’s Zendrum editor app, ZenEdit.
My Zendrum technique is based on my nearly 20 years of playing the Drummstick. My left hand carries a lot of the snare, open hi-hat, crashes, and sample triggering. With my right hand, I do my signature finger rolls, as well as carry the basic kick, ride, closed hi-hat, snare, and toms, split between multiple fingers. I was really happy when I discovered that I could put the EXP on over my right shoulder, ala Hendrix. This gave me more range with my left hand, allowing me to use the EXP’s additional triggers more comfortably. So far, I haven’t used any pedals, but you never know.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to the audio quality of my drum sound. E-drums allow me to control reverb, EQ, and volume, no matter the venue—indoor, outdoor, wherever. This is something you don’t get with acoustics, especially when it comes to percussion, because not all sound engineers are created equal. I also enjoy the ability to pack up in 15 minutes and being able to fly with a Zendrum, a USB interface, and a laptop anywhere in the world!" -Doc
Equipment list:
Zendrum EXP
Zendrum ZX
Drummstick x 3
Dynacord Rhythm Stick
Fast Track Ultra USB MIDI Interface
Tascam US-1800 USB MiDI Interface
PreSonus Audio Box USB MiDI Interface
Alesis DMPro, D4 and Trigger I/O
MacBook Pro with BFD2, GarageBand, iDrum
10 piece Simmons SDS9 kit
6 piece Ddrum D2 kit with Hart Dynamics mesh heads
Roland Octopad
Meinl Cajon
Mackie CR1604, 2 x Mackie SRM450
Doc featured in the San Francisco Chronicle's "Esentials"
"While steeped in jazz, San Francisco seven-string bass master Edo Castro is a versatile player whose lyrical lines have graced a vast array of settings. He joins forces with electronic percussion explorer E. Doctor Smith and special guests for an evening of ambient soundscapes inspired by Brian Eno (shaped partly by Eno's generative software). Smith recorded with Eno in the early 1980s, one of many illustrious artists he's collaborated with, including Madonna, Warren Zevon, Mickey Hart and Jimmy Cliff..."
Nice to come across this little piece by Andrew Gilbert in the SF Chronicle's "Essentials" section promoting my recent Royce Gallery show with Edo Castro... Edo played beautifully as he so often does... Here we come up with an improvisational segue into "Blue Moon", a song from my old Feat of Clay days that found its way onto our live CD on Edgetone.
"The 3-minute interview with E. Doctor Smith" by Kate Williamson in the SF Examiner
SAN FRANCISCO - A San Francisco musician and a director of biodiesel nonprofit Green Depot, Smith is the inventor of the Drummstick, his not-for-sale signature percussion device. This year, he released Drummstick 2 on Edgetone Records, and played on a second newly released album called “Robert Anbian and UFQ: the Unidentified Flying Quartet.” Meanwhile, Green Depot is trying to bring a biodiesel station to the Bayview.
What is a Drummstick?
The Drummstick is an instrument I invented in 1995. It’s a two-by-six piece of wood that has 16 triggers on it. It works just like an electronic drum kit, like the things Mickey Hart drums on, except instead of using drumsticks, I use my fingers.
Why did you invent it?
I had a friend who was with a folk duo … They had opened for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones once. The Flecktones liked them, and they couldn’t believe that Future Man [the Flecktones’ percussionist] did all these things from a drum guitar with triggers all over it. They said, “Have you ever thought about making a drum guitar?” I tried to think about what it would be like. It took on a life of its own.
How did you get involved with biodiesel?
My wife went to an Earth Day sort of thing in Potrero. We had thought about buying a Prius … but I hated the rear window and I hated that I was still buying gas. We started doing some research [on biodiesel] and we found out about it, and we started looking for them, (diesel vehicles), and we found out they were really hard to find. But we found one in Oakland, (a VW Beetle)… and we got it. For the last couple years, I’ve been running biodiesel and driving it. It’s been wonderful.
More press on E. Doctor Smith
"From the banjo-meets-Bruford tribal groove of "Futureboy" to the atmospheric sonic landscapes of "Girl of a Thousand Days," E. Doctor Smith treads a musical road less traveled. His intrepid ensemble's acid jazz explorations wander into every world musical nook and cranny, making this collection a trip well worth taking." - Stephen Bray, Producer-Madonna
"While acid jazz is normally more mood than passion, the taste of bop and afro-funk that is offered whets the ear for more more more.” - Mike Wood, Music Emmissions
"Particularly noteworthy was a "drum" solo by the Doctor that received extended applause... Smith's solo showed the versatility and range of his percussion instrument - a large block of wood wired to several key pads that allow him to reproduce almost any percussion sound. His performance of bell and cymbal sounds filled the room with a resounding sound reminiscent of a handbell choir." - Jerry Harris, Writer -Lexington Gazette
" Man...It's digital and it's organic...It flows from you man..." - "Diamond" Dave Whitaker, KPOO FM-Diamond Dave Show
" Marvelous creation, wonderful instrument." - Helen Light, WXPN FM-Light Lunch
"Pay close attention when you see this thing, it's really something special." - Cyndy Drue, WMMR FM-Morning Rock
"This, theoretically, could sound like crap. In actuality it's really pretty cool, plus he's good at it.... The rim shots and bass drum sounds great." - Andre Calihanna, Writer-MAPPS Magazine
"E. Doctor Smith and his MIDI-fied instrument... Howard Levy, Sandip Burman, Paul Bollenback, John Wubbenhorst... There's going to be some serious playing..." - Eric Brace, Writer-Washington Post