Home » Jazz Articles » Wadada Leo Smith
Jazz Articles about Wadada Leo Smith
Il meglio del 2016 secondo Alberto Bazzurro
by Alberto Bazzurro
Dischi, e soprattutto concerti, sono elementi variabili, inevitabilmente legati al singolo: ascoltati da alcuni, scappati via ad altri. Come e più di tutte le liste di questo tipo, eccone dunque qui di seguito una delle tante possibili. Al di là di ciò, il 2016 è stato un anno veramente impietoso nei confronti di chi fa musica, con una vera e propria falcidia, specie nel mese di marzo. Verso fine anno, poi, se n'è andato probabilmente il più grande di tutti ...
Continue ReadingJohn Sharpe's Best Releases Of 2016
by John Sharpe
Here are ten new releases, reviewed at All About Jazz, which stood out among those I heard this year. Wadada Leo Smith America's National Parks (Cuneiform Records) While the title might conjure up a string of luminous tone poems, the reality of trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith's magisterial collection goes far beyond that on his most outstanding release since the monumental Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform, 2012). Not coincidentally, it's also the product of his ...
Continue ReadingDan McClenaghan's Best Releases Of 2016
by Dan McClenaghan
The music keeps moving forward, evolving to higher levels. My search for the best jazz recordings of 2016 led me to these marvelous CDs. Wadada Leo SmithAmerica's National Parks Cuneiform Records Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith has attempted in, the new millennium, to create his magnum opus. He may have succeeded with America's National Parks, a sprawling, dark-hued masterpiece celebrating the Mississippi River, New Orleans, Yellowstone, Yosemite and more. Adam PieronczykMonte Alban
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: America's National Parks
by John Sharpe
While the title might conjure up a string of luminous tone poems, the reality of trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith's magisterial collection goes far beyond that. In fact Smith's notion of a national park encompasses not only the iconic landscapes, but also literary and cultural features. In any case as he explains, he draws his inspiration from the spiritual and psychological dimensions of a specific event or a place, rather than taking a straightforward programmatic approach. The result is Smith's most ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: America's National Parks
by Troy Collins
2016 marks the centennial anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service. In honor of this auspicious occasion, celebrated trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith composed a titular six-part suite for the Golden Quintet, an augmented version of his long-running flagship quartet. Rather than simply attempting to transpose scenic vistas and natural grandeur into pure sound, Smith explains in the liner notes that he is more interested in the parks as an idea--one with socio-political overtones--hence the inclusion of tributes to the city ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: America’s National Parks
by Alberto Bazzurro
Approssimandosi al traguardo dei tre quarti di secolo (ci arriverà il prossimo 18 dicembre), Wadada Leo Smith, in una fase della sua carriera feconda (diremmo persino fulgida, senza voler peccare di retorica) come non mai, se ne esce con uno dei lavori che rimarranno fra i più luminosi della sua discografia, per mole, ambizioni (supportate dalla sostanza, ovviamente), pathos, importanza dei musicisti coinvolti, e chi più ne ha più ne metta. L'obiettivo, stavolta, è puntato sui parchi ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: America's National Parks
by Mark Sullivan
The U.S. National Park Service celebrates its centennial in 2016 (it was created in 1916 when Congress passed the Organic Act). There are many celebrations planned, but few are likely to match the power and individuality of Wadada Leo Smith's epic six-part suite. Over the two discs (a bit over 90 minutes total playing time) Smith explores the spiritual and psychological aspects of setting aside reserves for common property for the use of American citizens--and the political dynamics involved. The ...
Continue Reading
