Wadada Leo Smith

Wadada Leo Smith, born in 1941 in Leland, Mississippi, is a trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, creative composer/performer and author. Wadada Leo Smith defines his music as “Creative Music,” and his diverse discography reveals a recorded history of music centered in the idea of spiritual harmony and the unification of social and cultural issues of his world.

He has created Ankhrasmation, a symbolic image-based language for performers or musicians. He started his research and designs in search of Ankhrasmation in 1965, and his first realization of this language was in 1967, when it was illustrated in the recording of “The Bell” by Anthony Braxton. Ankhrasmation has played a significant role in Wadada’s development as an artist, ensemble leader and educator.

Smith has performed and/or recorded with Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Cecil Taylor, Steve McCall, Anthony Davis, Carla Bley, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, Tadao Sawai, Muhal Richard Abrams, among many others. Smith’s compositions have been performed by numerous contemporary music ensembles: RedKoral Quartet, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, AACM Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Players, New Century Players, LA Phil New Music Group, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, among others.

For over two decades, Smith has been creating music for multiple ensembles, including works that take several days to perform: “Ten Freedom Summers” (2011) and “Tabligh” for double-ensemble (2006). His largest work “Odwira” for 12 multi-ensembles (52 instrumentalists) was performed at California Institute of the Arts in 1995.

Smith’s work has been recorded extensively on more than 100 albums as a leader/co-leader. His most recent releases include “Wadada Leo Smith String Quartets Nos. 1-12” and “The Emerald Duets”.