Media Release: Wadada Leo Smith in Australia

WADADA LEO SMITH IN AUSTRALIA
25th – 30th APRIL 2008

FRI 25th: WOLLONGONG CONSERVATORIUM
SAT 26th: SIMA @ THE SOUND LOUNGE, SYDNEY
SUN 27th: KING’S CAVE, LINDEN, BLUE MNTNS (the NOW now)
MON 28th: SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM (WORKSHOP)
TUES 29th: BENNETT’S LANE, MELBOURNE
WED 30th: NMIT, MELBOURNE (WORKSHOP)

It is rare that legends of creative music visit Australia, and rare indeed that they visit our shores specifically to collaborate with young Australian musicians whom they have influenced. Master musician Wadada Leo Smith makes the journey across the Pacific in April, a rare opportunity initiated by young saxophonist Peter Farrar.

Wadada Leo Smith is a trumpet-player, multi-instrumentalist, composer and improviser who has been active in the creative contemporary music world for over thirty years. He is a member of Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and has made many legendary recordings with peers Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jack Dejohnette and others. He has also performed with many jazz greats including Charlie Haden, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Oliver Lake, Don Cherry, Han Bennink and Misha Mengelberg.

As an Improvisor-Composer, Smith has studied a variety of music cultures (African, Japanese, Indonesian, European and American) and has developed a jazz and world music theory, and a notation system to fully express this music which he calls “Ankhrasmation”. He will bring this unique style of composition to the Australian group, and conduct workshops in Sydney and Melbourne discussing his approach to music.

Saxophonist Peter Farrar is at the forefront of Australia’s young musicians working in the field of jazz and exploratory music. Having completed studies at Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2006, he has co-led the group Farfinkel Pugowski and has been involved with numerous creative projects including the likes of Mike Nock, Dale Gorfinkel, Jim Denley and Amanda Stewart. His own musical interests include improvisation and contemporary composition, and this project developed from his trip to Los Angeles in 2007 to meet Wadada Leo Smith. The project involves Sydney-based musicians working closely with Farrar, as well as interstate guests and outstanding Dutch pianist Cor Fuhler.

Wadada Leo Smith (USA) – trumpet, composer, leader, Yusuke Akai (Bris) – guitar, Peter Farrar (Syd) – saxophone, Dale Gorfinkel (Melb) – vibraphone, Sam Dobson (Syd) – bass, Alex Masso (Syd) – drums, Cor Fuhler (Amsterdam) – piano (Sydney and Wollongong only), Erkki Veltheim (Melb) – violin (Melbourne only)

Contact Peter Farrar: 0401 883 532 peter.farrar@bigpond.com
or Alex Masso: 0406 361 439 alexmasso@gmail.com

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

TOUR DATES

FRI 25th: Wollongong Conservatorium of Music @ Glennifer Brae,
Murphy’s Ave, KIERAVILLE NSW
Presented by the Illawarra Improvised Music Association
www.iima.org.au
Info: 0406 361 439 (Alex Masso)

SAT 26th: The Sound Lounge, SYDNEY
Presented by the Sydney Improvised Music Association
www.sima.org.au
Bookings: (02) 9351 7940

SUN 27th: King’s Cave, LINDEN (Blue Mountains) NSW
Presented by the NOW now
www.thenownow.net
Info: 0401 883 532 (Peter Farrar)

MON 28th: WORKSHOP @ Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Macquarie St, SYDNEY
Info: (02) 93511267

TUES 29th: Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, MELBOURNE
Presented by Melbourne Jazz Co-op – www.jazzvic.org
Bookings: (03) 9663 2856

WED 30th: Workshop @ North Melbourne Institute of Technology, MELBOURNE VIC
Info: (03) 9269 8933

For further information on Wadada Leo Smith see http://music.calarts.edu/~wls/
Contact Peter Farrar: 0401 883 532 / peter.farrar@bigpond.com