Ernest McCarty Jr. is an accomplished bass player, pianist, playwright, producer, and director. Growing up in Chicago, his goal as a teen was to play bass in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but when discrimination barred his way, he turned to jazz, eventually touring the world with performers such as Erroll Garner and Gloria Gaynor. Throughout his career, McCarty has won numerous awards, including an Emmy for his appearance on the WABC show Like It Is, a Joseph Jefferson Citations Wing Award for the Madame Hortense musical score, and three AACTA Onyx Awards—two for best production of Blue and American Menu, and one for best direction of Purlie Victorious. Even now in his seventies, McCarty continues to play the string bass. Jimmie Smith is an American jazz drummer. Smith studied at the Al Germansky School for Drummers in his home town of Newark from 1951–54, then attended the Juilliard School in 1959–60. He began his professional career in New York City around this time. In the 1960s he played with Jimmy Forrest (1960), Larry Young (1960–62), Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross (1962–63), Pony Poindexter (1963), Jimmy Witherspoon (1963), Gildo Mahones (1963), Jimmy McGriff (1963–65), and Groove Holmes (1965). From 1967 to 1974 he played with Erroll Garner before moving to California around 1975. He then played with: Benny Carter (1975, 1978, 1985), Sonny Criss (1975), Bill Henderson (1975, 1979), Hank Jones (1976), Ernestine Anderson (1976, 1986), Plas Johnson (1976), Phineas Newborn, Jr. (1976), Harry Edison (1976–78, with Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Zoot Sims), Lorez Alexandria (1977–78), Tommy Flanagan (1978), Terry Gibbs (1978, 1981), Bob Cooper (1979), Marshal Royal (1980), Great Guitars (1980), Barney Kessel (1981), Herb Ellis (1981), Buddy DeFranco (1981), Al Cohn (1983), Red Holloway (1987), and Dave McKenna (1988). In 1993, he toured Japan with Jimmy Smith and Kenny Burrell. One of Smith's most noted collaborations took place at the Montreux International Jazz Festival in 1977, where he played with Benny Carter, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie. This CD also features the wonderful renowned pianist Geri Allen and percussionist Noel Quintana.