Josh Smith

Born in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1979 and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Josh Smith has played guitar since childhood and was performing at blues festivals from the age of 10. Active early on both stage and in the studio, he toured the U.S. at 16 with the Rhino Cats and later continued with the trio Josh Smith and the Frost, which released Too Damn Cold in 1997. Settling in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, Smith built a career split between his solo work, sideman duties and production at Flat V Studios. His music is electric blues informed by blues rock and soul and marked by a strong sense of improvisation, featuring a precise, fluid style that emphasizes groove as much as melody. His discography under his own name includes Deep Roots (2006), Inception (2009), I'm Gonna Be Ready (2011), Don't Give Up On Me (2012), Over Your Head (2015), Still (2017), Burn to Grow (2018), Live at the Spud (2019) and Bird of Passage (2022). In parallel, he has also played for or produced artists such as Raphael Saadiq, Eric Gales, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Larry McCray and Reese Wynans.