F M Smith's music is gentle, yet powerful. He wields his acoustic guitar
as a weapon of beauty and emotion -- mixing jazz, folk, and soul into a
rich stew of subtle nuance and soothing tones, but underneath the calm
exterior of the music are lyrics that reach out and embrace the broken-
hearted and the disillusioned. Smith is influenced by the '60s and '70s
legends he has listened to throughout his life, including Joni Mitchell,
David Crosby, and The Byrds, as well as the unique new age singer/songwriter
and guitar master Michael Hedges.
The two time recipient of the American Billboard Songwriter's Contest
Award frequently performs with Rob Bonaccorsi, former guitarist for the
Freddy Jones Band. Smith's music is the perfect canvas for Bonaccorsi's
creative stylings, and their performances are a rare combination of
technical beauty and joyous spontaneity. Smith is currently touring in
support of Red Guitar, which also features Bonaccorsi, and he is
in the process of recording his second album, which will be the culmination
of the duo's on-stage explorations. In addition, Smith's soft, supple vocals
have graced television advertisements for Air Jamaica, and he has
applied his talent to musical scores for the DeBoer/Haller Company's
educational videos.
Smith has been a resident of the Chicago area for more than 20 years,
though he originally grew up in New Jersey. He was drawn to music
early in his life and at age 13, he put together his first band. Smith
acknowledged, "I've been involved in several different careers
throughout my life, but music is something I've always come back to.
It is who I am, and I try to look at every day and every musical
experience that I have as a gift."
