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