In March 2013, Jay Smith took his own life. Roughly three months later, two songs written with the guitarist and Nova Scotia native appeared on his friend Dustin Bentall’s You Are an Island album. The two met when Bentall toured with Smith’s band Matt Mays & El Torpedo in 2009.

“I had a particular connection with Jay, instantly,” Bentall told the Straight. He also tapped Smith to sit in for a short tour in 2011. “As I found out, he had that effect on a lot of people. I loved his playing, and I just loved hanging with him.”

After his death, Halifax music-industry vet Mike Campbell organized two benefit concerts in Nova Scotia, raising an astounding $200,000 for Smith’s two kids. At Campbell’s prompting, Bentall mounts a West Coast memorial at the Imperial on April 1. Smith’s bandmates Matt Mays and Adam Baldwin have signed up, along with Odds and a few yet-to-be-announced special guests.

“Everybody’s jumping onboard like crazy,” Bentall said. “It’s going to be about celebrating, for sure.” All proceeds from Remembering Jay Smith will go to the Unison Benevolent Fund, which provides support to musicians in times of crisis.