ROBERT (BOB) SMITH
Bob & Dudley-Brian have been playing together since the early 70's, often times with Bob's twin brother Joel. The three
brothers were together in the early 70's in the band Christian and later as part of Panama in the mid-70's. Bob began playing as a kit drummer and percussionist in a number
of jazz, folk-rock and rock bands prior to switching to bass. He was initially taught upright bass by his father, a noted area swing musician, and Bob later played
electric bass in rock and folk-rock bands. With brothers Joel and Dudley-Brian, Bob has played in all phases of Laughter, Charmer and Smithfield Fair days. With Joel leaving for
Germany, Bob & Dudley-Brian began working with Jan Dedon as a trio on 1983's From The Cradle To The Grave.
Bob has been back on stage with Smithfield Fair since 2005, but has appeared on most Smithfield Fair and all Charmer albums. A graphic designer and
photographer, he was the group's original graphic artist and photographer on the early albums and upon his return from Japan returned to direct the band's design needs, creating
the new logo, and his photographs adorn the covers of The Perfect Cafe, Winds of Time, Walking Through This World, Swept Away and 20420. He is the graphic designer for the Stevenson Productions book series.
Seeking a more acoustic sound for his work with Charmer, similar to the upright bass but with more portability, Bob switched to the Guild B-50 acoustic
bass, which has became his trademark in 1978. Prior to that, Bob played a hollow-bodied electric bass similar to the Hofner "Beatle" bass, as well as a Fender Coronado I arch-top with nylon strings.
A student of Japanese culture, Bob lived and worked in Kobe, Japan studying samarai sword making and repair and continues those interests and pursuits. He speaks fluent Japanese. He and brother Joel
are partners in The Saxon Guild - an artistic cooperative located on Inglewood Plantation in Alexandria, Louisiana known for high-quality art and antique restoration, as well as
various other artistic endeavors.
INSTRUMENTS: As stated above, Bob has exclusively used Westerly Guild B-50 acoustic basses since 1978. He has owned several but his current main instrument is a 1978 B-50
and his back-up is a 1976 B-50 (first year of production line) - both made fretless by Holger Notzel of Riverfront Music in Baton Rouge, who also does all set-up and
maintenance. Also, Bob occasionally uses a fretted 1979 B-50 belonging to Dudley-Brian. Bob's basses are fitted with Shure SM-11 inborn microphones with flush-mount XLR
connectors and a K&K Pure bass pick-up and pre-amp system, also installed by Holger. (Photos left to right by Ray Boswell - 1979; Jim Zietz - 1989; and T.J. Shuflin - 2009)