Erik Smith is one of the busiest and most versatile drummers in Scandinavia. He started out banging on pots and pans at age 3 and joined his father's band at 12. From his base in Oslo, Norway he works in all imaginable genres of music from jazz via big band to fusion, pop and rock. Erik has worked with many well known artists passing through Norway including Michael Bolton, Art Garfunkel, Neil Sedaka, Donna Summer and Randy Crawford in addition to most artists and entertainers on the Scandinavian scene. In the jazz idiom Erik has provided the groove for among others Frank Gambale, Bobby Shew, Andy Sheppard, Eddie Daniels, Phil Woods, Putte Wickman, Ed Palermo, Django Bates, Bob Mintzer, DeeDee Bridgewater and Gerald Wilson.
Erik is also a pioneer doing clinics. He is the first Norwegian drummer to tour extensively in support of his endorsing companies to inspire and teach. He appeared at the NAMM Yamaha Groove Night in 2003, and also held a clinic at the PASIC convention in Nashville in 2004, both a first for a Scandinavian drummer. Erik has also done duo clinic tours with Yamaha colleagues John "JR" Robinson and Akira Jimbo.
Erik leads his own bands "The Erik Smith Trio" and "Smiths Venner" (Smiths friends), and has also made appearances with his own big band paying tribute to Buddy Rich.
