Biography
Putter Smith (born Patrick Verne Smith, 19 January 1941) is an American jazz bassist, music teacher, author and occasional actor. Born in Bell, California, he began playing double bass at the age of eight, inspired by his older brother Carson Smith, and made his performing debut at thirteen. He has performed and recorded with numerous jazz artists including Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles and Gerry Mulligan, and worked as a session musician for artists such as the Beach Boys and the Righteous Brothers. He has also taught at the Musician's Institute and the California Institute of the Arts.
Smith was spotted by director Guy Hamilton while performing with Monk at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Los Angeles and cast as the assassin Mr. Kidd alongside Bruce Glover's Mr. Wint in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. He has appeared in a small number of other film and television roles, including Win, Place or Steal (1974) and In the Mood (1987). He continues to perform and teach music.
