So sad to hear this Fred, he was indeed a lovely man. Our thoughts are with Linda,

Laurie. Cooper

13/11/20 -

Very sorry to hear about Colin. He was a very good player, and I enjoyed many gigs with him: Also Kay and I spent many happy hours in the company of Linda and Colin during our times abroad with Manchester Jazz. Our thoughts are with Linda at this awful time.

Jon and Kay Critchley.

13/11/20 -

Lovely man indeed , Tragic loss of a very fine bass player . R.I.P. Colin .

Pete Darwin

14/11/20 -

I remember Colin Smith with great affection and admiration. Our paths crossed when we both played with the Alan Pendlebury All Stars in the 1980's, and my main memory of Colin was when we played on board the QE2. In fact, we shared Cabin 5077 during the September cruise. I probably kept him awake with my late-night note making for a full 'Journal' I eventually wrote.

Among the great times were sessions on board with Alan Pendlebury, Don Lydiatt, Bobby Boyd and Colin Smith - all sadly passed away now. We enjoyed days ashore in Gibraltar, Barcelona and Naples until Colin had his wallet and passport stolen on a tram in Lisbon. Chiefly, there were the exciting musical sessions to international audiences all over the ship, and our rhythm section with Bob on drums and Colin's impeccable bass playing, was one of the finest I ever shared.

Happy days in comparative youth, and always the gentleman and friend, I'm so sad to learn of his passing to this 2020 pandemic. My very best regards to Linda, and RIP Colin.

Derek Harrison

14/11/20 -

Dear Linda ,

Colin , your husband was indeed a lovely man , charming and funny . I remember him especially in those days at Didsbury Cricket Club . The good times we had with the music .wonderful music family. I send love and condolences to you and your family .

Sheila Collier

14/11/20 -

So sorry to hear about about Colin, a lovely man and a fine musician.

I have known Colin for over 30 years and enjoyed playing with him with Manchester Jazz , with Ged Hone and 4 to the Bar at my local Pub the Devonshire Arms in Mellor and on the many occasions with the Harlem Hot Stompers at Didsbury and Alsager.

Our condolences go to Linda and family.

Ian and Carol McCann.

14/11/20 -

The news that Colin Smith has died is a cause of great sorrow. When Mart invited me to join Manchester Jazz following Colin's retirement, almost seven years ago now, I knew I was going to have to fill a very large pair of shoes: Colin had been his bass player from the band's inception, back in 1982, and that wasn't the first time he and Mart had played together by a long chalk. I don't imagine that I shall ever really manage to fill those shoes, but I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity.

I had met Colin and Linda many years earlier when I was about to join Bricktop's Red Onion Jazz Babes for the first of our New Orleans tours in the late eighties. Flying a double bass to the USA is challenging at best, and Colin had very kindly agreed to lend me his hard case, which would at least ensure that my bass arrived in one piece. When I drove over to pick it up, I was greeted with such hospitality that it was as though we had been friends for years, and the same has been true on every occasion when we have met since then.

Colin is a great loss to the jazz family here in the north west, and Helen joins me in sending our condolences to Linda and the family.

The Revd. Allan Wilcox

15/11/20 -

Very sad to hear about Colin. I had been kept aware of the situation as my wife and Linda speak almost every day but it is still a shock. I knew Colin from my years playing with Mart Rodger Manchester Jazz (about 14 years) and the time after he and I retired from the band. Colin was a superb bass player and a very competent sousaphone player and a pleasure to work with. R.I.P Colin.

Charlie & June Bentley

15/11/20 -

Colin and Mart became friends in the 1970's when they played together in various "pick-up" bands. When Manchester Jazz was planned, Colin was the automatic 1st choice bass player, swinging, accurate and totally reliable.

Earlier he had been a professional musician in London with Freddie Randall, Ken Sims and others, also with the Piccadilly Six in Europe. He was a member of the Terry Lightfoot Band when they accompanied Louis Armstrong at four of his concerts.

Like Pete Staples, he also worked in the "day job" in Mart's business in Heaton Mersey. On Tuesday mornings there was plenty to talk about following the Monday night sessions at the Cricket Club. Colin composed the lovely tune, "I Believe in Rainbows" which is on the American CD, "1997 Recordings for George H. Buck Jnr". The faster tune, "Gospel Train" is on "Tasty Jazz" and another of Colin's compositions is "Saving All My Pennies" which is on another of George Buck's Jazzology label, "Jazz Tale of Two Cities".

I send my deepest sympathy to Linda and the family and know how much Colin will be missed.

Janet Rodger

15/11/20 -

Sunday evening I got the sad news from Linda that my dear friend and fellow bass player Colin had passed away. I met Colin for the first time at The Dresden International Jazz Festival in 1987 and we immediately had very good contact as fellow bass players often do. After Dresden we met on several gigs and occasions both in the Manchester area and in my home town Drammen, Norway. I play bass in Norway’s oldest traditional jazz band, The Royal Garden Jazzband, now celebrating its 65th year on the jazz scene and we had the pleasure to invite Colin and the rest of the guys (and wives) in Mart Rogers Manchester Jazz more than once to Norway. Colin stayed with us for a week when his wife Linda was hospitalized during one of these trips and our friendship grew even firmer. In 2013 my late wife, Bjorg and I visited Colin and Linda in their home outside Manchester and we had a wonderful three days staying with them, enjoying Linda's hospitality and Colin’s many good stories from his long career as a jazz musician and also as a rugby player.

Now only the fond memories are left and I will remember Colin as a solid, good bass player, as a composer and a warm and friendly person. I will particularly remember his two recorded tunes “I believe in Rainbows” and “Saving all my Pennies for a trip to New Orleans”.

I send my condolences to Linda and Colin’s two sons, Justin and Jason and I am very sorry for their loss.

R.I.P. Colin!
Oivind Tangen, RGJB, Norway.

15/11/20 -

To my special friend Linda I am so sorry about Colin.    I know you kept me posted but I wish it to be a tribute to a lovely person.   We had many memories from the cruises with Mart Rodger.    

Forever in our thoughts.   

Dee Curtis

16/11/20

Dear Linda,

So sad to here the news about Colin. Sue & I will always remember Colin as a talented musician and a very kind and caring person. You will have so many treasured memories of the lovely times you shared with Colin which I am sure will help you through these very sad times.
We send our love, deepest sympathy and sincere condolences.

From Mike & Sue Carnie.

16/11/20 -

So sad to hear about Colin Smith. I only played with him on a few occasions but when we met he always greeted me like his best mate. Lovely man. I’ve attached a recording of the short-lived Almanac Jazz Band, a group which Les Moore put together in November 1993 for weekly gigs at Courtney’s, a bar which was, maybe still is, just off Deansgate in Manchester city centre. I think we lasted a month due to the largest audience only reaching half a dozen or so. I’ve attached “Alice Blue Gown” which has a solo by Colin. The band was Derek Winters (tpt) who strolled across from his office on gig night, Jack Jenkinson (tbn), John Brunton (reeds), Les Moore (bjo), Colin on bass and me on drums.

I became a member of the Hot Club de France earlier this year (the only English member in the Limoges Club) but, due to illness in February I missed the monthly meeting before France was locked down and there hasn’t been one since. I was, by email, telling Alain Charbonnier, the Limoges HC president, about jazz friends who have recently passed away and I, of course, mentioned Colin Smith and sent him “I believe in rainbows”.  He loved the track.

Alain has a regular Swing-fm radio programme called “Swingtime” and he tells me that the early 2021 broadcast will be a tribute to musicians who have died in 2020.  He is going to play “I believe in rainbows” as a tribute to Colin who will, as Alain points out, be included alongside such luminaries as Lucien Barbarin, McCoy Tyner and Bucky Pizzarelli.    Ain’t that great?

Graham Martindale