That this assemblage works so well is a tribute to the big ears and hearts — and collective intelligence — of all the players here.
Wadada Leo Smith
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.
Fuse 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.
Jazz CD Review: “Occupy The World” — Creatively Complicated Orchestral Music
Over five extended compositions, composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith leads a new large ensemble, TUMO, creating a challenging but engaging world of sound that combines composed elements with strong soloists and group improvisation.
Jazz News: Thoughts on Wadada Leo Smith’s “Ten Freedom Summers” — Pulitzer Finalist in Composition
Ten Freedom Summers is a masterful, supple series of compositions that has the gravitas of a major work that also, from time to time, it swings dramatically.