Stanley Smith

Stanley Smith -- Clarinetist, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. Stanley Smith was a long-time member of Indy's popular band The Strugglers (1970-85), which still gets together periodically for reunion shows. The band was known for its wide range of styles, including Chicago blues, old obscure country songs, Western swing, and jazz. Then Smith became part of the music scene in Austin, Texas. There, he has been involved with many projects as a performer and studio musician. The most famous group he worked with regularly was the Asylum Street Spankers, which was an acoustic roots band that covered songs from mainly the '20s and '30s and performed humorous originals. Smith's clarinet playing and singing can be heard on the Spankers' albums from 1996 to 2009. The group toured Europe several times and became a favorite on Indy's Bob & Tom Show. In fact, Stanley Smith recorded some with the Bob & Tom band in the time frame when the Spankers were appearing on the show. Back in Austin, he was a founding member of the Jazz Pharaohs, which has played traditional jazz throughout the city since 1991. As a solo singer-songwriter, Smith accompanies himself on acoustic guitar and is known for his bluesy style. In 2003, he released a solo CD In the Land of Dreams. Sometimes called "Cool Pops," Smith opened for Leon Redbone, Richie Havens, Taj Mahal, and Bill Monroe.