Nate Smith

Name: Nate Smith
Associations: Michael Jackson, Mark Ronson, Vulfpeck
Instrument: Drums, Producer, Composer
Brands: Ludwig, Zildjian, Vater

Musician’s Biography:

Ira Nathaniel “Nate” Smith, otherwise referred to simply as Nate Smith, is arguably one of the greatest pocket drummers of all time.  Born in 1974 in Chesapeake Virginia, Smith took to the drums at a young age, finding his way to jazz through drummers like Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers.

In college, Nate connected with Betty Carter which opened the door to performances at Blue Note in New York City and later became a part of the Grammy Winning Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band.

From there Nate joined famed saxophonist Chris Potter on several recordings and performances and has collaborated with Ravi Coltrane, Jose James, Regina Carter, John Pattituci, Lionel Loukeke and many others.

Beyond being an incredible drummer, Smith has had some stunning acheivements in his career including producing the Michael Jackson song “Heaven Can Wait” and composing soundtracks for Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel and has appeared as a musician on The Today Show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show With David Letterman and Conan.  Nate Smtih has also been featured in Modern Drummer magazine and is now releases critically acclaimed drum tracks for production.

Nate Smith uses a Ludwig Legacy series drumset. The Nate Smith Ludwig Legacy is a vintage drumset.

Nate Smith’s Drum Setup: