Smith’s musical biography should be studied by new generations not because it follows the usual arc of humble beginnings, entrance into the mainstream, and the affirmation of an artistic identity, but because it charts the development of a deeply original system. His work binds together the spiritual, timeless dimension and the reality of historical and civil engagement as a logical continuum. Within this continuum, music becomes paradoxically both an epiphenomenon and the nucleus of his entire system. The best conversations about Smith have been with Frank J. Oteri, recipient of an ASCAP award and author of the 2011 documentary Decoding Ankhrasmation, created for Smith’s 70th birthday. Smith is now celebrating his 84th, defying all odds. This golden opportunity to speak with him coincides with the release of Defiant Life (ECM), recorded in duo with Vijay Iyer over several days in July 2024 at RSI’s Auditorium studio in Lugano under the […]
Wadada Leo Smith “Defiant Life”
Following their 2016 debut, the collaboration between Mississippi trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and Vijay Iyer returns with a new album. Defiant Life is a powerful and expressive statement, as Smith himself reflects in this wide-ranging and profound conversation.
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