Wadada Leo Smith

American trumpeter and composer

Wadada Leo Smith

Photo by Tom Beetz

Background information
Born|  (1941-12-18) December 18, 1941 (age 83)
Leland, Mississippi, U.S.
Genres|

* Avant-garde jazz
* free improvisation

Occupations|

* Musician
* composer

Instrument| Trumpet
Website| www.wadadaleosmith.com

Musical artist

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (born December 18, 1941)[1] is an American trumpeter and composer, working primarily in the field of creative music.[2] He was one of three finalists for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Ten Freedom Summers, released on May 22, 2012.[3]

## Biography

[edit]

Smith was born in Leland, Mississippi, United States.[1] He started out playing drums, mellophone, and French horn before he settled on the trumpet. He played in various R&B groups and, by 1967, became a member of the AACM and co-founded the Creative Construction Company, a trio with Leroy Jenkins and Anthony Braxton.[1] In 1971, Smith formed his own label, Kabell.[1] He also formed another band, the New Dalta Ahkri, with members including Henry Threadgill, Anthony Davis and Oliver Lake.[1]

In the 1970s, Smith studied ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University. He played again with Anthony Braxton, as well as recording with Derek Bailey's Company.[1] In the mid-1980s, Smith became Rastafarian and began using the name Wadada.[1] In 1993, he began teaching at Cal Arts,[2] a position he held until 2014. In addition to trumpet and flugelhorn, Smith plays several world music instruments, including the koto, kalimba, and atenteben (Ghanaian bamboo flute). He has also taught courses in instrument making. His compositions often use a graphic notation system he calls "Ankhrasmation", which he developed in 1970.[1]

In 1998, Smith and guitarist Henry Kaiser released Yo, Miles!, a tribute to Miles Davis's then-lesser-known 1970s electric period.[2] On this album, Smith, Kaiser and a large cast of musicians recorded cover versions and original compositions inspired by Miles's electric music.[2] The follow-ups Sky Garden (released by Cuneiform in 2004) and Upriver (released in 2005) were recorded with a different cast of musicians.[2] Both line-ups featured Michael Manring on bass.

Smith's Golden Quartet (with which he has released several albums) originally featured Jack DeJohnette on drums, Anthony Davis on keyboards, and Malachi Favors on bass.[2] After several iterations, the Golden Quartet now features Pheeroan akLaff on drums, John Lindberg on bass, and Davis on piano.[2]

During the 2000s, Smith recorded albums for John Zorn's label Tzadik, as well as Pi Recordings. In 2008, he and his Golden Quartet released a DVD entitled Freedom Now.[2]

Smith has lived in New Haven, Connecticut for many years, a city where he helped create a prominent culture for creative music. [4]

## Discography

[edit]

Wadada Leo Smith, Vision XIII Festival

### As leader/co-leader

[edit]

* 1972: Creative Music - 1 (Kabell)
* 1975: Reflectativity (Kabell)
* 1977: Song of Humanity (Kabell)
* 1978: The Mass on the World (Moers)
* 1979: Solo Music: Ahkreanvention (Kabell)
* 1979: Divine Love (ECM)
* 1979: Budding of a Rose (Moers)
* 1979: Spirit Catcher (Nessa)
* 1980: Touch the Earth (FMP)
* 1982: Go in Numbers (Black Saint)
* 1982: Human Rights (Kabell)
* 1983: If You Want the Kernels You Have to Break the Shells (FMP)
* 1983: Procession of the Great Ancestry (Nessa, 1989)
* 1983: Rastafari (Sackville)
* 1993: Kulture Jazz (ECM)
* 1996: Tao-Njia (Tzadik)
* 1997: Golden Hearts Remembrance[5] with N'da Kulture (Chap Chap, 2020)
* 1997: Prataksis (Ninewinds)
* 1998: Condor, Autumn Wind (Wobbly Rail)
* 1999: Light Upon Light (Tzadik)
* 2000: Reflectativity (Tzadik)
* 2000: Golden Quartet (Tzadik)
* 2001: Red Sulphur Sky (Tzadik)
* 2002: The Year of the Elephant[6] (Pi)
* 2002: Luminous Axis (Tzadik)
* 2003: Organic Resonance (Pi)
* 2004: Lake Biwa (Tzadik)
* 2004: Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace (Pi)
* 2005: Snakish (Leo)
* 2006: Compassion (Meta/Kabell)
* 2007: Wisdom in Time[7] (Intakt)
* 2008: Tabligh (Cuneiform)
* 2009: America (Tzadik)
* 2009: Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform)
* 2009: Abbey Road Quartet (Treader)
* 2010: The Blue Mountain's Sun Drummer (Kabell)
* 2011: Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform)
* 2011: Dark Lady of the Sonnets (TUM)
* 2011: Nessuno[8] with Pauline Oliveros Roscoe Mitchell John Tilbury (IDA 035 – 2016)
* 2012: Ten Freedom Summers[9] (Cuneiform)
* 2012: Ancestors (TUM)
* 2013: Occupy the World (TUM)
* 2014: Sonic Rivers (Tzadik) with George E. Lewis and John Zorn
* 2014: Red Hill[10] (RareNoise) with Jamie Saft, Joe Morris and Balazs Pandi
* 2014: The Great Lakes Suites (TUM)
* 2014: June 6th 2013 (Novara Jazz) with Eco D'Alberi
* 2015: Celestial Weather (TUM) with John Lindberg
* 2016: A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke (ECM) with Vijay Iyer
* 2016: America's National Parks[11] (Cuneiform)
* 2017: Najwa (TUM)
* 2017: Solo: Reflections and Meditations on Monk (TUM)
* 2017: Aspiration[12] with Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura, Ikue Mori
* 2018: The Haunt[13] with Bobby Naughton and Perry Robinson
* 2020: Pacific Light and Water/Wu Xing – Cycle of Destruction[14] with Barry Schrader
* 2021: Sun Beans of Shimmering Light[15] with Douglas Ewart, Mike Reed
* 2021: Trumpet (TUM) solo trumpet
* 2021: Sacred Ceremonies (TUM) with Milford Graves and Bill Laswell
* 2021: The Chicago Symphonies (TUM)
* 2021: A Love Sonnet For Billie Holiday (TUM) with Jack DeJohnette and Vijay Iyer
* 2022: String Quartets Nos. 1–12 (TUM)
* 2022: The Emerald Duets (TUM) with Pheeroan akLaff, Andrew Cyrille, Han Bennink and Jack DeJohnette
* 2022: Two Centuries (Red Hook) with Qasim Naqvi and Andrew Cyrille
* 2023: Fire Illuminations (Red Hook) with Orange Wave Electric
* 2024: Dét, som ikke kan kaldes tilbage (ILK Music) with Søren Nørbo and Kresten Osgood
* 2024: Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Garden (Red Hook) with Amina Claudine Myers

### Compilations

[edit]

* Kabell Years: 1971–1979 (Tzadik, 2004) – collects Creative Music – 1, Reflectativity, Song of Humanity, and Solo Music: Ahkreanvention along with additional material

### As sideman

[edit]

With Muhal Richard Abrams

* Young at Heart/Wise in Time (Delmark, 1974)

With Marion Brown

* Geechee Recollections (Impulse!, 1973)

With Anthony Braxton

* 3 Compositions of New Jazz (Delmark, 1968)
* Silence (Freedom, 1969 [1975]) with Leroy Jenkins
* Anthony Braxton (BYG Actuel, 1969)
* This Time... (BYG Actuel, 1970)
* Trio and Duet (Sackville, 1974)
* Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (Arista, 1976)
* Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978 (hatART, 1978 [1995])

With Creative Construction Company

* Creative Construction Company (Muse, 1970 [1975])
* Creative Construction Company Vol. II (Muse, 1970 [1976])

With Andrew Cyrille

* Lebroba (ECM, 2018)

With Leroy Jenkins

* For Players Only (JCOA Records, 1975)

With Henry Kaiser

* Yo, Miles![16][17](Shanachie, 1998)
* Sky Garden (Cuneiform, 2004)
* Upriver (Cuneiform, 2004)

With Bill Laswell

* The stone[18] (2014)

With Frank Lowe

* The Flam (Black Saint, 1975)

With Maurice McIntyre

* Humility in the Light of the Creator (Delmark, 1969)

With Roscoe Mitchell

* Sketches from Bamboo (Moers Music, 1979)

With Matthew Shipp

* New Orbit (Thirsty Ear, 2001)

With Spring Heel Jack

* The Sweetness of the Water (Thirsty Ear, 2004)
* Hackney Road (Treader, 2018) with Pat Thomas and Steve Noble

With John Zorn

* 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 8 (Tzadik, 2003)
* The Unknown Masada (Tzadik, 2003)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 371/2. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Wadada Leo Smith | Biography". AllMusic. 1941-12-18. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
3. ^ "The Pulitzer Prizes | Citation". Pulitzer.org. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
4. ^ "Four Score: A Conversation with Wadada Leo Smith on Turning 80 (Part One)". PostGenre. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
5. ^ "Wadada Leo Smith And N'da Kulture:Golden Hearts Remembrance, by Chap Chap Records". Chap Chap Records. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
6. ^ "The Year of The Elephant, by Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet". Wadada Leo Smith. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
7. ^ "Wisdom in Time, by WADADA LEO SMITH". Günter Baby Sommer. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
8. ^ "Nessuno, by Pauline Oliveros + Roscoe Mitchell + John Tilbury + Wadada Leo Smith (IDA 035 – 2016)". i dischi di angelica. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
9. ^ "Ten Freedom Summers, by Wadada Leo Smith". Cuneiform Records. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
10. ^ "Red Hill, by Wadada Leo Smith / Jamie Saft / Joe Morris / Balazs Pandi". Joe Morris / Riti / Glacial Erratic. Retrieved 2021-03-07.[permanent dead link]
11. ^ "America's National Parks, by Wadada Leo Smith". Cuneiform Records. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
12. ^ "Aspiration, by Satoko Fujii, Wadada Leo Smith, Natsuki Tamura, Ikue Mori". Satoko Fujii. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
13. ^ "The Haunt, by Bobby Naughton, Wadada Leo Smith, Perry Robinson". NoBusiness Records. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
14. ^ "Pacific Light and Water/Wu Xing – Cycle of Destruction, by Wadada Leo Smith / Barry Schrader". Barry Schrader. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
15. ^ "Sun Beans of Shimmering Light, by Wadada Leo Smith / Douglas R. Ewart / Mike Reed". Wadada Leo Smith / Douglas R. Ewart / Mike Reed. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
16. ^ "YO MILES! Lightning, by Henry Kaiser, Wadada Leo Smith". Henry Kaiser. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
17. ^ "YO MILES! Shinjuku, by Henry Kaiser, Wadada Leo Smith". Henry Kaiser. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
18. ^ "The Stone – April 22, 2014, by Wadada Leo Smith/Bill Laswell". M.O.D. Reloaded. Retrieved 2021-03-07.

## External links

[edit]

* Wadada Leo Smith at AllMusic Wadada Leo Smith on Bandcamp Wadada Leo Smith discography at Discogs Wadada Leo Smith discography at MusicBrainz
* Official website
* short film portrait on Wadada Leo Smith, his art and his work with ECM Records
* Wadada Leo Smith by John Corbett—BOMB Magazine Archived 2016-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
* A Fireside Chat With Wadada Leo Smith by Fred Jung Posted: 2003-11-29
* Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith – Sky Garden (Review) – Published in The Music Box, July 2004, Vol. 11, No. 7
* FMP releases
* Art of the States: Wadada Leo Smith[usurped] Bardsdale (1997–1998)
* Tawaf Archived 2005-12-28 at the Wayback Machine from 2003's "Organic Resonance" on Pi Recordings
* Solo performance Archived 2007-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, July 2000 at SASSAS sound. concert archives
* "Wadada Leo Smith: The OFN Interview" by Matthew Sumera: April and June 2005
* "Ep. 99: Wadada Leo Smith, trumpeter and composer" by Tigran Arakelyan: May 20, 2020

* v
* t
* e

Wadada Leo Smith

Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.

Studio
albums|

* Creative Music - 1 (1971)
* Divine Love (1978)
* Solo Music: Ahkreanvention (1979)
* Budding of a Rose (1979)
* Spirit Catcher (1979)
* Human Rights (1982)
* Procession of the Great Ancestry (1983)
* Rastafari (1983)
* Kulture Jazz (1992)
* Tao-Njia (1995)
* Golden Hearts Remembrance (1997)
* Prataksis (1997)
* Light Upon Light (released 1999)
* Reflectativity (2000)
* Golden Quartet (2000)
* Lake Biwa (2000-2004)
* Red Sulphur Sky (2001)
* The Year of the Elephant (2002)
* Luminous Axis (2002)
* Snakish (2005)
* Compassion (2002)
* Wisdom in Time (2006)
* Dark Lady of the Sonnets (2007)
* America (2008)
* Abbey Road Quartet (2008)
* Heart's Reflections (released 2011)
* Ancestors (2011)
* Occupy the World (2012)
* Sonic Rivers (2013)
* Red Hill (2014)
* The Great Lakes Suites (2012)
* Celestial Weather (2012)
* Najwa (2014)
* Solo: Reflections and Meditations on Monk (2014 & 2015)
* A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke (2015)
* Sacred Ceremonies (2015 & 2016)
* America's National Parks (2016)

Live
albums|

* Reflectativity (1974)
* Song of Humanity (1976)
* The Mass on the World (1978)
* Touch the Earth (1979)
* Go in Numbers (1980)
* If You Want the Kernels You Have to Break the Shells (1981)
* The Blue Mountain's Sun Drummer (1986)
* Condor, Autumn Wind (1997)
* Organic Resonance (2003)
* Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace (2003)
* Tabligh (2005)
* Spiritual Dimensions (2008 & 2009)
* Ten Freedom Summers (2011)
* June 6th 2013 (2013)

Compilations|

* Kabell Years: 1971–1979

* v
* t
* e

Finalists: Pulitzer Prize for Music (2011–2020)

* Fred Lerdahl ('11): Arches
* Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon ('11): Comala
* Tod Machover ('12): Death and the Powers
* Andrew Norman ('12): The Companion Guide to Rome
* Aaron Jay Kernis ('13): Pieces of Winter Sky
* Wadada Leo Smith ('13): Ten Freedom Summers
* John Adams ('14) The Gospel According to the Other Mary
* Christopher Cerrone ('14) Invisible Cities
* Lei Liang ('15) Xiaoxiang
* John Zorn ('15) The Aristos
* Timo Andres ('16) The Blind Banister
* Carter Pann ('16) The Mechanics: Six from the Shop Floor
* Ashley Fure ('17) Bound to the Bow
* Kate Soper ('17) Ipsa Dixit
* Michael Gilbertson ('18) Quartet
* Ted Hearne ('18) Sound from the Bench
* James Romig, ('19) Still
* Andrew Norman, ('19) Sustain
* Alex Weiser, ('20) and all the days were purple
* Michael Torke, ('20) Sky: Concerto for Violin

* (Winners)
* (Citations)
* (Finalists: '80s
* '90s
* '00s
* '10s)

Authority control databases

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Artists|

* MusicBrainz

Other|

* IdRef
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