Steve Smith (musician) Time. During the following year, he was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. In 2003, his DVD "Steve Smith Drumset Technique – History of the U.S. Beat" was voted the No. 1 Educational DVD of the year. He has worked as a session musician for Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Elisa, Vasco Rossi, Zucchero, Savage Garden, Bryan Adams, Zakir Hussain and Sandip Burman. Additionally, he has played with jazz musicians such as Steps Ahead, Wadada Leo Smith, Tom Coster, Ahmad Jamal, Dave Liebman, Larry Coryell, Victor Wooten, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, Stuart Hamm, Dweezil Zappa,
...And His Mother Called Him Bill ...And His Mother Called Him Bill ...And His Mother Called Him Bill is a studio album by Duke Ellington recorded in the wake of the 1967 death of his long-time collaborator, Billy Strayhorn. It won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 1969. Ellington recorded the album as a tribute to Billy Strayhorn, who died of cancer in May 1967. Strayhorn was a composer, arranger, and one of Ellington's closest friends. The album was recorded in August and November 1967. The material is Strayhorn's compositions, including some that had not previously been recorded. Ellington chose the songs