Ian Smit is Monkeyworks' curator, composer, guitarist and resident "Skronk Meister". With many years of playing, recording and writing experience with many New York area bands, he's traveled down countless avenues in many directions too numerous to mention here. Maybe that's the charm that inspires his contributions to Monkeyworks.
The guy admittedly can't make up his mind as to what type of music to play. His playing and composing touch on Jazz, Rock, Folk, African, Middle Eastern, Ambient and Trip-Hop, with a smidgen of Industrial.
Smit has been allowed to contribute to a couple of vocal oriented projects. SwampMonkey is a meeting of Brian Herkert and Nadine Lafond from Swampadelica, along with Mr. Meltzer from us which manages to play de-constructed cover tunes, such as Hendrix, Marley, Van Morrison, etc., etc., etc. We played a version of Woodstock by Joni, recorded by CSN which I didn't recognize 'till about three quarters through the tune, and then we turned it into Summertime, by the Gershwin boys. That's what you get!
Ian is also a member of the New Hope Collective.
Classic Autobiographical Quote:
"My Rock friends call me a Jazz guy. My Jazz friends call me a Rock guy. My Folk friends, well, they don't call me anymore - seems I play too ‘out there’, whatever that means...”