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Wadada Leo Smith: The Great Lakes Suites
by John Sharpe
Trumpet and composer Wadada Leo Smith remains in one of the most fertile phases of his long and storied career. His prodigious output now enjoys the outlets it needs, courtesy of the Finnish TUM imprint and the US-based Cuneiform Records. And other recordings appear on a variety of independent labels. At least in part that is likely due to the prestige of the Pulitzer Prize recognition for his momentous Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform, 2012) extravaganza. For this latest extended work ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: The Great Lakes Suites
by Robert Bush
Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith is on something of a recording roll lately, with The Great Lakes Suites coming hot on the heels of 2013's Occupy The World, and 2012's Ten Freedom Summers on the TUM and Cuneiform labels, respectively. To these ears, The Great Lakes Suites is the prize among prizes. Drum icon Jack Dejohnette is back with Smith, and multi-instrumentalist Henry Threadgill joins long-time bass associate John Lindberg for a thrilling program of extended compositions ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: Great Lakes Suites
by Dan McClenaghan
Two of the most enduring voices avant-garde jazz belong to trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and reedman Henry Threadgill. Smith's The Great Lakes Suites, six of his distinctive compositions on a two CD set, teams the two icons inside the equilateral quartet that includes drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist John Lindberg. It sounds like a dream team, and it is. DeJohnette has played on Smith's Golden Quartet, Lindberg has joined the trumpeter in a variety of contexts, groups large and small. ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: I'm A Dreamer
by John Sharpe
As dreamers go trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith lies at the more serious end of the spectrum. Not for him dreams that fade with the daylight, as evidenced by the realization of his epic Civil Rights inspired Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform, 2012). Smith actually composed the first piece of what developed into a 21 piece magnum opus back in 1977, which demonstrates prodigious staying power to see it through to completion in 2012. Once released, the work generated remarkable acclaim for ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith's Ten Freedom Summers at London Jazz Festival 2013
by John Sharpe
Wadada Leo Smith's Ten Freedom Summers: London, England, November 21-23, 2013 Wadada Leo Smith Café Oto London November 21-23, 2013 As part of the London Jazz Festival, over three consecutive evenings, Dalston's Cafe Oto presented the European premiere of trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith's Ten Freedom Summers magnum opus. Although such a groundbreaking production might be more expected in one of the large auditoriums on the capital's South Bank, the goodwill built up ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith & Tumo: Occupy The World
by AAJ Italy Staff
Dopo Ten Feedom Summer, evento concertistico e discografico tra i più memorabili degli ultimi anni, il trombettista e compositore Wadada Leo Smith torna ad incidere con una grande formazione realizzando un doppio album ancora una volta dalla grande valenza politica/civile e ancora una volta dallo straordinario impatto musicale. Questa volta Smith, insieme al collaboratore di lunga data John Lindberg, si avvale dei servigi della Tumo Orchestra , ensemble formato da ventun musicisti tra i più rappresentativi della scena nordica, provenienti ...
Continue ReadingWadada Leo Smith: Occupy the World
by Eyal Hareuveni
Great trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith's five epic extended compositions collected on the double album Occupy The World mark him as a major American composer with a musical language and artistic vision that transcends the boundaries of the Afro-American heritage of jazz. Smith wrote complex orchestral works before, most notably on the masterful, extensive 4-discs Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform, 2012), that addressed political and historical issues still, the expanded and rearranged works represent a new musical triumph within the ...
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