DUDLEY-BRIAN SMITH
Dudley-Brian is the group's principal songwriter and composer, having written such group standards as Flying High, Another Southern Summer, Longships, Sweet Sugar Cane and James of the Glen,
as well as instrumentals such as The Scent of Pencil Shavings and Tugg the Bull Terrier. As the group's default multi-instrumentalist, both live and on records he has played guitar, mandolin, autoharp, trumpet, bagpipes (both bellows and mouth-blown), tin whistle, harmonica, recorder, slide guitar, piano/keyboards, bass and percussion. He also serves as the group's principal arranger and producer, as well as manages Stevenson Productions.
Dudley-Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science/History and a Master’s Degree in Communications. Admitting to a 'colourful' life, he has done a bit of everything including singing in the U.S. Navy Blue Jacket Choir, digging ditches and farm work, being a carnival and circus roustabout, festival and concert producer and promoter; public relations director, book and newspaper editor, teacher, waiter, researcher and administrative assistant. Dudley-Brian states that what he does best and loves most is creating music, which starts with his guitar and his imagination.
INSTRUMENTS - Primary guitars are all Westerly Guilds - a 1975 G-37SB, a 1988 GF-25BLK and a 1973 F-112 ('Betty'); as well as a 1974 D-25 (FrankenGuild - pieced together by Holger Notzel). His mandolin is a Big Muddy/Mid-Missouri M-O Mandolin. All are fitted with Shure SM-11 microphones with flush-mount XLR connectors; He plays in Vestapol or Open-D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D, low to high) and for Scottish repertoire songs tuned down a full step to Open-C (C-G-C-E-G-C) and uses Shubb Capos, Martin medium gauge 80/20 bronze strings and .60 Jim Dunlap picks.
All of instruments are maintained and set-up by Holger Notzel at Riverfront Music in Baton Rouge. (Photos left to right: Pat Saylor - 1979, Jim Zietz - 1989, T.J. Shuflin - 2009)
Smithfield
Fair Bios
