THE
 500th AND FINAL MUSICAL ARTIST ENTRY IN THIS NOW COMPLETED EIGHT YEAR 
SERIES WAS POSTED ON THIS SITE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2023. 
 
BEGINNING JANUARY 14, 2023 THIS SITE WILL CONTINUE TO 
FUNCTION 
AS AN ONGOING PUBLIC ARCHIVE AND SCHOLARLY RESEARCH AND REFERENCE 
RESOURCE 
FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING THEIR LOVE OF AND INTEREST IN 
WHAT THE VARIOUS MUSICAL ARTISTS ON THIS SITE PROVIDES IN TERMS OF 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND VARIOUS CRITICAL  ANALYSES AND COMMENTARY 
OFFERED ON BEHALF OF 
EACH ARTIST ENTRY SINCE NOVEMBER 1, 2014. 
ACCESS TO EACH ARTIST CAN BE FOUND HERE, WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE 'BLOG ARCHIVE' (ARTISTS LISTED IN WEEKLY CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER) AND ‘LABELS' (ARTIST NAMES, TOPICS, ETC.) ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOME PAGE. CLICK ON THESE RESPECTIVE LINKS TO ACCESS THEIR CONTENT: 
https://soundprojections.blogspot.com/
https://soundprojections.blogspot.com/2016/03/wadada-leo-smith-b-december-18-1941.html
 
https://www.wadadaleosmith.com/home/   
PHOTO: WADADA LEO SMITH  (b. December 18, 1941)
 
 
ISHMAEL 
              WADADA LEO SMITH: 
 trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist, composer and improviser has been 
active in creative contemporary music for over forty years. His systemic
 music language Ankhrasmation  is significant in his development as an artist and educator. 
            
Born in Leland, 
Mississippi, Smith's early musical life began in the high school concert
 and marching bands. At the age of thirteen, he became involved with the
 Delta Blues and Improvisation music traditions.  He received his formal
 musical education with his stepfather Alex Wallace, the U.S. Military 
band program (1963), Sherwood School of Music (1967-69), and Wesleyan 
University (1975-76).  Mr. Smith has studied a variety of music 
cultures: African, Japanese, Indonesian, European and American. 
            
He has taught at 
the University of New Haven (1975-'76), the Creative Music Studio in 
Woodstock, NY (1975-'78), and Bard College (1987-'93). He is currently a
 faculty member at The Herb Alpert School of Music at California 
Institute of the Arts. He is the director of the African-American 
Improvisational Music program, and is a member of ASCAP, Chamber Music 
America, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. 
            
Mr. Smith's awards 
and commissions include: 
 MAP Fund Award for “Ten Freedom Summers” (2011), Chamber Music America 
New Works Grant (2010), NEA Recording Grant (2010), Fellow of the John 
Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2009-2010), Other Minds residency 
and "Taif", a string quartet commission (2008), Fellow of the Jurassic 
Foundation (2008), FONT(Festival of New Trumpet) Award of Recognition 
(2008), Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award (2005), Islamic World 
Arts Initiative of Arts International (2004), Fellow of the Civitela 
Foundation (2003), Fellow at the Atlantic Center for the Arts (2001), 
"Third Culture Copenhagen" in Denmark-presented a paper on Ankhrasmation 
 (1996), Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning 
Program (1996), Asian Cultural Council Grantee to Japan (June-August 
1993), Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning 
Program (1990), New York Foundation on the Arts Fellowship in Music 
(1990), Numerous Meet the Composer Grants (since 1977), and National 
Endowment for the Arts Music Grants (1972, 1974, 1981). 
            
Mr. Smith's music philosophy Notes (8 Pieces) Source a New. World Music: Creative Music  has been published by Kiom Press (1973), translated and published in Japan by Zen-On Music Company Ltd. (1976).  In 1981 Notes  was translated into Italian and published by Nistri-Litschi Editori. 
            
He was invited to a
 conference of artists, scientists and philosophers "Third Culture 
Copenhagen" in Denmark 1996, and presented a paper on his Ankhrasmation 
music theory and notational system for creative musicians. His interview
 was recorded for Denmark T.V., broadcasted September 1996. 
            
 Some of the 
artists Mr. Smith has performed with are : Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony
 Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Richard 
Teitelbaum, Joseph Jarman, George Lewis, Cecil Taylor, Andrew Cyrill, 
Oliver Lake, Anthony Davis, Carla Bley, David Murray, Don Cherry, Jeanne
 Lee, Milton Campbell, Henry Brant, Richard Davis, Tadao Sawai, Ed 
Blackwell, Sabu Toyozumi, Peter Kowald, Kazuko Shiraishi, Han Bennink, 
Misja Mengelberg, Marion Brown, Kazutoki Umezu, Kosei Yamamoto, Charlie 
Haden, Kang Tae Hwan, Kim Dae Hwan, Tom Buckner, Malachi Favors 
Magoustous and Jack Dejohnette among many others. 
            
Mr. Smith currently
 has three ensembles: Golden Quartet, Silver Orchestra, and Organic.   
His compositions have also been performed by other contemporary music 
ensembles: AACM-Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Player, New 
Century Players, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Contemporary 
Chamber Players (University of Chicago), S.E.M. Ensemble, Southwest 
Chamber Music, Del Sol String Quartet, New York New Music Ensemble, 
ne(x)tworks, and California E.A.R. Unit. 
            
Mr. Smith's music 
for multi-ensembles has been performed since 1969.  "Tabligh" for 
double-ensemble was performed by Golden Quartet and Classical Persian 
ensemble at Merkin Concert Hall (2006) and by Golden Quartet and 
Suleyman Erguner's Classical Turkish ensemble at Akbank Music Festival 
in Istanbul (2007).  His largest work "Odwira" for 12 multi-ensembles 
(52 instrumentalists) was performed at California Institute of the Arts 
(March 1995).  His Noh piece "Heart Reflections" was performed in Merkin
 Concert Hall, NY (November 1996).
© 1997-2011 Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith
 
 
Wadada Leo Smith’s 80th Birthday Celebration
December 18, 2021