If you are not familiar with Wadada Leo Smith as an artist or as a thinker, you could start with The Chicago Symphonies and know that you are engaging with some of his finest work.
Wadada Leo Smith
Jazz Albums Review: “Skyline” and “A Love Sonnet for Billie Holiday” — Marching to the Beat of the Same Drummer
The presence of veteran drummer Jack DeJohnette ties together two new releases.
Album Review: Deerhoof and Wadada Leo Smith — Electrical Soul Music
That this assemblage works so well is a tribute to the big ears and hearts — and collective intelligence — of all the players here.
Jazz CD Review: Wadada Leo Smith’s “Rosa Parks: Pure Love” — Making History Present
Rosa Parks: Pure Love is a serious, substantial, and long work, alternately harsh and calming, one that I am sure should be seen as well as heard.
Jazz CD Reviews: Wadada Leo Smith — Paying Superb Homage to Monk, and Other Heroes
That’s why Wadada Leo Smith’s musical visions are so miraculous: there’s an impression of drift, yet they rarely meander.
Jazz CD Round-up: Jane Ira Bloom, Robert Glasper, Wadada Leo Smith, Anna Webber, and More
Over a dozen short notices of recent jazz recordings that I find musically stimulating.
Jazz CD Review: Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith — Exploring Cosmic Possibilities in Sound
Pianist Vijay Iyer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith produce music that is precise and quietly evocative, peaceful and gently probing.
Fuse Album Review: Fresh Improvisational Sounds from Finland’s TUM Records
According to its web site, TUM operates mainly thanks to volunteers. We should be grateful.
Book Review: “Outside Music, Inside Voices” — Illuminating Conversations about Creating Jazz
Jazz fans with open ears should rush to this book: so should anyone interested in the creative process, its rewards as well as its challenges.
Album Review: Wadada Leo Smith’s “The Great Lakes Suites” — A Miraculous Freedom
Wadada Leo Smith’s latest album features a series of miraculous performances that give a new meaning to freedom: the sometimes lengthy and airily open improvisations take us on journeys but never seem to wander.