caption associated_acts death_date death_place birth_place background birth_date instrument genre image article_title name
william oscar -lrb- w.o. smith -rrb- dizzy gillespie , coleman hawkins 31 may 1991 nashville , tennessee bartow , georgia non_vocal_instrumentalist 2 may 1917 double bass , viola jazz , classical w.o. _ smith.jpg william oscar smith
 william oscar -lrb- w.o. -rrb- smith
william oscar smith

dr. william oscar -lrb- w.o. -rrb- smith -lrb- may 2 , 1917 -- may 31 , 1991 -rrb- , was a jazz double bassist and music educator .
although he never pursued a solo career , and , as a result , is not often remembered by jazz historians , smith was an important player in early jazz history as a sideman .
most notably , smith was the bassist on coleman hawkins ' iconic 1939 recording of `` body and soul '' .
the great jazz trumpeter dizzy gillespie said of smith , `` of all the musicians i 've had the pleasure of associating with , i can say that oscar smith was among the most gifted .
his timing and resolution were almost perfect .
he helped me discover my own sense of harmony and rhythm . ''
gillespie describes him as a sideman extraordinaire .
