R.I.P. Jimmy Smith

The Sault Metal Scene sends it's deepest condolences to the family and friends of former local hard rock bassist Jimmy Smith, who unexpectedly passed away on June 4th at the age of 47. Apologies for the late mention, I only just heard about this the other day. His obituary can be read on SooToday at this link, and his funeral was held this past Tuesday at The O’Sullivan Donnelly Funeral Home with Reverend Bruce McLeish presiding. Donations are asked to be sent to charities of choice, and a benefit for Jim will be held at the Breakaway Bar & Grill at 68 Dennis Street on Saturday, with doors opening at 6:00 PM, but I have no word at present on a potential live musical component. Though not a recent sight in the local music scene, Jim was known locally as the bassist in the early 1980s progressive hard rock band Thansis Colle, alongside Sault native & prominent folk solo artist Kevin Closs, guitarist Paul Tikkanen (now of the Peterborough band Azriahl), and current Flat Stanley drummer Glen Thomas. I didn't know Jimmy, but what I've heard is good in regards to his character and personality, and it's just a shame that yet another local musician is lost at such a young age.

He was definitely a skilled bassist, and he'd have to be to match up with the creative time signatures and instrumentation that Thansis Colle were known for, and that their surviving members have kept up in the following years. One track of theirs (an instrumental take of their song "This Machine") was posted onto Glen Thomas' YouTube channel in 2009, and it's a fun progressive metal track to be sure, so give it a listen below, keep his family in your thoughts, remember the benefit on Saturday, and hopefully we'll hear more of his local music work down the road! R.I.P. Jimmy!