Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
YouTube 
Amazon Music 
Castbox 
RSS Feed 
Overcast 
PocketCasts Wadada Leo Smith: A Trumpeter Composing in Light
The AACM veteran joins us to discuss 'Constellations and Hemispheres,' a record he built like a dub producer from four ensembles, and the color research he asks of every player, kept secret from the rest of the band.
This week we're putting The Tonearm's needle on trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith. Since the 1960s, Wadada has scored much of his music in Ankhrasmation, a visual language he invented for improvisers.
His new album, Constellations and Hemispheres, is out now, built from four different groups he recorded over five years, with lots of post production.
We talk about why his players study light and color, using the studio as an instrument like dub producers, and choosing love in a world at war.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Wadada Leo Smith's Constellations and Hemispheres)
—
Dig Deeper
Artist and Album:
- Visit Wadada Leo Smith at wadadaleosmith.com
- Purchase Constellations and Hemispheres from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
Ankhrasmation:
- Ankhrasmation: The Language Scores, 1967–2015 (The Renaissance Society)
Recordings:
- Fire Illuminations (wadadaleosmith.com)
- Luminous Axis: The Caravans of Winter and Summer, with The Hub and William Winant (Tzadik)
- Creative Music - 1 (Kabell)
People and Places:
Coverage:
- Wadada Leo Smith – Constellations And Hemispheres (Paris-Move)
From The Tonearm:
- David Katz Cuts a New Version of Dub's History
- We Are Floating in Space — Jane Ira Bloom's Jazz Odyssey
—
- Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com
—
- Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
- Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.
- Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
- Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.