Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet - The Year of the Elephant

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith moves from Tzadik to the upstart Pi label for the second release with his Golden Quartet, again featuring Anthony Davis on piano, Malachi Maghostut Favors on bass, and Jack Dejohnette on drums. This measured, thoughtful music doesn't fit neatly into the avant-garde category, although its harmonic language is often open-ended and mildly dissonant. Both Davis and Dejohnette are credited on synthesizer, but the sounds they employ are remarkably close to the old-fashioned, analog Wurlitzer. Read More