Michael Smith (January 30, 1946 – January 2, 2006) was an accomplished American jazz drummer and percussionist.

Throughout his 40-year career, Smith was primarily based in the Washington D.C. - Baltimore area, where he collaborated with numerous prominent jazz artists including David Liebman, Herbie Hancock, John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, Tommy Flanagan, Billy Eckstine, Astrud Gilberto, Freddie Hubbard, Herb Ellis, and Milt Jackson.

Born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Smith was introduced to jazz at an early age by his father. He began taking drum lessons at the age of 8 from local jazz drummer Cootie Harris, who, along with Smith's father, took him to local jam sessions across Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Influenced by renowned drummers such as Art Blakey and "Philly" Joe Jones, Smith developed a distinctive style characterized by polyrhythms, metric modulation, and intricate cymbal work—a style that would define his musical legacy.

Smith attended Youngstown State University from 1964 to 1966, performing at various gigs in Youngstown and Pittsburgh, notably with pianists George Cables and Don Pullen, as well as cellist Abdul Wadud. He recorded a demo tape with Cables and Wadud, which was submitted to Down Beat magazine as an entry for a contest.

In 1967, Smith transferred to Howard University in Washington D.C., where he began to pursue his playing career more seriously. He gained recognition when he was invited to perform with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner at the famous Blues Alley jazz club.

His talent soon caught the attention of vibraphonist Gary Burton, who invited him to join his ensemble on tour. However, Smith declined the offer out of concern about being drafted for the Vietnam War. After dropping out of Howard in 1968, he was drafted but classified as 4-F due to a history of migraine headaches.

Smith then collaborated with his friend, bassist Terry Plumeri, in the free-improvisation group Love, Cry, Want, which blended jazz, blues, and rock influences. He recorded two albums with Plumeri: He Who Lives In Many Places (1971), featuring musicians like Gato Barbieri and Eddie Gomez, and Water Garden (1978) (originally titled Ongoing), which included Abercrombie, John Patitucci, and the National Symphony String Quartet. Both albums were later reissued on CD in 2007.

In addition, Smith was a founding member of the ambient music collective The Entourage Music & Theatre ENsemble, alongside Joe Clark, Rusti Clark, and Wall Matthews. This ensemble released two recordings on Folkways Records and performed in conjunction with dance troupes. In 2003, the electronic artist Four Tet sampled the Entourage composition "Neptune Rising" without permission for his hit single "She Moves She," leading Smith and Matthews to receive a royalty payment for the use of their copyrighted material.

Smith toured nationally with Roberta Flack from 1971 to 1972, but found the demands of touring to be taxing. He returned to Washington D.C., where he continued to perform and record with local jazz musicians. His contributions to the scene earned him recognition in The Washington Post's 1974 Who's Who of D.C. artists and musicians.

In 1977, he traveled to Germany to record with pianist Wolfgang Dauner, bassist Eberhard Weber, and saxophonist Klaus Doldinger, resulting in the critically acclaimed LP, "The Art of the Trio," released by the MPS label. In 1984, he recorded the Juno Award-winning LP A Beautiful Friendship with pianist/bassist Oliver Jones. Smith toured Europe and performed alongside pianist McCoy Tyner at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1986 and 1987, garnering positive responses from large audiences.

During the 1980s, Smith became the preferred drummer for saxophonist Wayne Shorter and singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading whenever they performed in Washington D.C.

From 1987 until 2005, Smith remained active in the local jazz scene, performing at clubs and recording with various musicians, especially in a trio setting with pianist Larry Willis and bassist Kiyoshi Tokunaga.

In late 2003, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His final recording was with Dave Kane, Drew Gress, and Dave Liebman on Kane's CD, Grey Matters (2005). Despite battling walking pneumonia and severe bone pain, Smith's performance during this session remained strong. Unfortunately, his health declined due to prostate cancer, leading to his passing on January 2, 2006. A tribute concert was held at the renowned jazz club Blues Alley on January 10, 2006, attended by many prominent musicians from the D.C. area.