Ten Freedom Summers
Jazz
| Aug 2012
Reviews
Fo
Reviewed 2012-08-11
Reviewed 2012-08-11
WADADA LEO SMITH: Ten Freedom Summers
Cuneiform, 2012
AVANT-GARDE – Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith presents his magnum opus, a deep, huge, powerful collection of 19 pieces composed over a 34-year span. The work commemorates the heroes and milestones of the black civil rights movement, from the age of slavery to the present. Smith’s Golden Quartet and Quintet are joined by/alternate with Southwest Chamber Music, a nine-member modern classical ensemble. Smith’s horn is either hot and slicing or calm and chilly against heavy two-drummer surges or tense group improvisation, and the chamber sections can be somber, aching or spiky. You can go to any point in these four CDs and find something of value. Just listen.
Fo’s Picks: I – 1,2 II – 1,2,3 III – 2,4,5 IV – 1,2,4
DISC ONE
1. 11:49 – quintet: trumpet cuts thru turbulent chaos, very strong piano as well
2. 5:15 – quiet quintet: serene trumpet, lots of space, bowed bass solo
3. 18:03 – a mix of mournful and defiant, slowly paced with aching strings
4. 15:06 – a slow & bluesy march; trumpet soars, quintet falls to near-silence
5. 22:08 – chamber ensemble: juxtaposes rhythmic drama & pained harmony
DISC TWO
1. 12:44 – quartet: spiritual intro, then struggle and firm resolve, serene end
2. 16:36 – chamber ensemble: moving string layers, thrusts, dissonant slides
3. 12:35 – quintet: very open feel, picks up walking rhythm, fine piano & drums
4. 24:13 – chamber ensemble: rises from below, a series of striking tableaux
DISC THREE
1. 16:41 – quartet: rising optimism, chaos, emptiness; solos for everybody
2. 10:07 – chamber ensemble: alternately tender and knotty/convoluted
3. 12:18 – stark quartet: acid trumpet, lots of silent moments
4. 15:04 – quartet: strong bass, open improv sprawl, quiet, huge drum solo
5. 13:50 – full group goes all over: stark layers, dark shades, clashing rhythms
DISC FOUR
1. 14:11 – quartet: forceful w/heavy drums, tender middle section, back to start
2. 9:39 – slow and solemn with forceful trumpet, switches to a spiritual feel
3. 8:36 – quintet: trumpet thrusts boldly forward over amorphous backing
4. 14:31 – quintet: solid improv feel, a sarcastic sneer, strong performances
5. 20:35 – full group: a sprawling, imposing modernistic suite unto itself; heavy
[ Fo ] - 11 August 2012
Cuneiform, 2012
AVANT-GARDE – Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith presents his magnum opus, a deep, huge, powerful collection of 19 pieces composed over a 34-year span. The work commemorates the heroes and milestones of the black civil rights movement, from the age of slavery to the present. Smith’s Golden Quartet and Quintet are joined by/alternate with Southwest Chamber Music, a nine-member modern classical ensemble. Smith’s horn is either hot and slicing or calm and chilly against heavy two-drummer surges or tense group improvisation, and the chamber sections can be somber, aching or spiky. You can go to any point in these four CDs and find something of value. Just listen.
Fo’s Picks: I – 1,2 II – 1,2,3 III – 2,4,5 IV – 1,2,4
DISC ONE
1. 11:49 – quintet: trumpet cuts thru turbulent chaos, very strong piano as well
2. 5:15 – quiet quintet: serene trumpet, lots of space, bowed bass solo
3. 18:03 – a mix of mournful and defiant, slowly paced with aching strings
4. 15:06 – a slow & bluesy march; trumpet soars, quintet falls to near-silence
5. 22:08 – chamber ensemble: juxtaposes rhythmic drama & pained harmony
DISC TWO
1. 12:44 – quartet: spiritual intro, then struggle and firm resolve, serene end
2. 16:36 – chamber ensemble: moving string layers, thrusts, dissonant slides
3. 12:35 – quintet: very open feel, picks up walking rhythm, fine piano & drums
4. 24:13 – chamber ensemble: rises from below, a series of striking tableaux
DISC THREE
1. 16:41 – quartet: rising optimism, chaos, emptiness; solos for everybody
2. 10:07 – chamber ensemble: alternately tender and knotty/convoluted
3. 12:18 – stark quartet: acid trumpet, lots of silent moments
4. 15:04 – quartet: strong bass, open improv sprawl, quiet, huge drum solo
5. 13:50 – full group goes all over: stark layers, dark shades, clashing rhythms
DISC FOUR
1. 14:11 – quartet: forceful w/heavy drums, tender middle section, back to start
2. 9:39 – slow and solemn with forceful trumpet, switches to a spiritual feel
3. 8:36 – quintet: trumpet thrusts boldly forward over amorphous backing
4. 14:31 – quintet: solid improv feel, a sarcastic sneer, strong performances
5. 20:35 – full group: a sprawling, imposing modernistic suite unto itself; heavy
[ Fo ] - 11 August 2012
Recent airplay
America, Parts 1, 2 & 3
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Memphis, The Prophecy, Freedom Summer: Voter Registration, Acts Of Compassion And Empowerment, 1964, Black Church, Rosa Parks And The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 381 Days
In Your Ear Radio - Thank You MLK! — Jan 15, 2018
Dred Scott: 1857
In Your Ear Radio - A New Year, Here We Come 2018! Pt. 2 — Dec 30, 2017
The Freedom Riders Ride, Rosa Parks And The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 381 Days, Dred Scott: 1857
In Your Ear Radio - birthYaY!, Wadada! — Dec 18, 2017
Malik Al Shabazz And The People Of The Shahada
Love Den — Oct 11, 2012
Democracy
No Cover, No Minimum — Oct 05, 2012
Charting
2012-08-12 — 2012-10-14
Jazz
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Oct 14 | 1 |
| Oct 7 | 1 |
| Sep 30 | 1 |
| Sep 2 | 2 |
| Aug 26 | 1 |
| Aug 19 | 2 |
Track listing
| 1. | Dred Scott: 1857 | ||
| 2. | Malik Al Shabazz And The People Of The Shahada | ||
| 3. | Emmett Till: Defiant, Fearless | ||
| 4. | Thurgood Marshall And Brown Vs. Board Of Education: A Dream Of Equal Education, | ||
| 5. | John F. Kennedy's New Frontier And The Space Age, 1960 | ||
| 6. | Rosa Parks And The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 381 Days | ||
| 7. | Black Church | ||
| 8. | Freedom Summer: Voter Registration, Acts Of Compassion And Empowerment, 1964 | ||
| 9. | Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society And The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 | ||
| 10. | The Freedom Riders Ride | ||
| 11. | Medgar Evers: A Love-Voice Of A Thousand Years' Journey For Liberty And Justice | ||
| 12. | The D.C. Wall: A War Memorial For All Times | ||
| 13. | Buzzsaw: The Myth Of A Free Press | ||
| 14. | The Little Rock Nine: A Force For Desegregation In Education, 1957 | ||
| 15. | America, Parts 1, 2 & 3 | ||
| 16. | September 11th, 2001: A Memorial | ||
| 17. | Fannie Lou Hamer And The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, 1964 | ||
| 18. | Democracy | ||
| 19. | Martin Luther King, Jr.: Memphis, The Prophecy |