Wadada Leo Smith/Henry Kaiser

Biography

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, born December 18, 1941, in Leland, Mississippi, began his musical journey playing drums, mellophone, and French horn before settling on the trumpet. He started composing at age 12 and gained early experience in R&B groups, later joining the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 1967, where he co-founded the Creative Construction Company trio with Leroy Jenkins and Anthony Braxton. In the 1970s, he formed his own label Kabell, created the New Dalta Ahkri band with Henry Threadgill, Anthony Davis, and Oliver Lake, studied ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University, and recorded with artists like Derek Bailey.

Smith's career evolved through innovative collaborations and a distinctive style rooted in creative music, rejecting rigid categories like free jazz in favor of pure, authentic expression. In the mid-1980s, he adopted the name Wadada upon becoming Rastafarian and partnered with guitarist Henry Kaiser for the Yo Miles! project, releasing albums like Yo, Miles! (1998), Sky Garden (2004), and Upriver (2005), which reinterpreted Miles Davis's 1970s electric period. His monumental Ten Freedom Summers (2012), a 4-CD set composed over 34 years, was a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music. He taught at Cal Arts from 1993 to 2014 and has resided in New Haven, Connecticut, fostering a vibrant creative music scene.

Smith's legacy lies in his humanistic, spiritual approach to music as a direct, ego-free connection to the universe, blending improvisation, composition, and influences from modern classical, jazz, and chamber music. He has recorded prolifically on labels like Tzadik and Pi Recordings, performed solo and in ensembles like the Golden Quartet, and collaborated with diverse artists including John Zorn, Susie Ibarra, and Pauline Oliveros, maintaining authenticity across over 70 years of work.

Fun Facts

• Smith composed his first piece at age 12 and has been creating music for over 70 years.
• In the mid-1980s, he became Rastafarian and adopted the name 'Wadada,' meaning 'love' in Amharic.
• The AACM musicians, including Smith, decided to move to Europe in the late 1960s after the deaths of young bassists Charles Clark (age 23) and Christopher Gaddy (age 24), to spread their music worldwide.
• Smith rejects musical categories like 'free jazz' or 'improvised music,' viewing all music simply as 'music' and emphasizing sound inherent to the instrument and performer.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• AACM Collective - Key influence through membership and early collaborations shaping creative music approach (3 Compositions of New Jazz (1968), Humility in the Light of the Creator) [1960s]

Key Collaborators

• Henry Kaiser - Co-leader of Yo Miles! project reinterpreting Miles Davis's electric era (Yo, Miles! (1998), Sky Garden (2004), Upriver (2005)) [1990s-2000s]
• Leroy Jenkins - Trio co-founder in Creative Construction Company (Creative Construction Company recordings, Silence (1969)) [1967-1970s]
• Anthony Braxton - Frequent AACM collaborator and bandmate (3 Compositions of New Jazz (1968), Anthony Braxton (1969), This Time... (1970)) [1960s-1970s]
• Michael Manring - Bassist in Yo Miles! lineups (Yo, Miles!, Sky Garden, Upriver) [1998-2005]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia