Nate Smith

Nate Smith is a Grammy Award winning drummer, composer, producer, and bandleader from Norfolk, Virginia, widely regarded as one of the most in-demand musicians of his generation. He first gained major attention at age 20 performing at New York’s Blue Note with Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program. Early in his career, he worked as a songwriter and producer on Michael Jackson’s ‘Heaven Can Wait,’ and joined the Dave Holland Group in 2003, touring internationally. As a leader with KINFOLK, Smith earned Grammy nominations for KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere (2017), including Best Instrumental Composition and Arrangement. His collaborations span Brittany Howard, Jon Batiste, Norah Jones, Childish Gambino, Pat Metheny, and Lalah Hathaway. His latest project, LIVE ACTION, is a producer-driven, analog-recorded album featuring a wide network of collaborators while emphasizing live performance and creative restraint.