Starting in 2021, Finland's
TUM Records commemorated
Wadada Leo Smith's 80th birthday with five thematically curated box sets, of which
The Emerald Duets is the last. Its five discs place the trumpeter in settings with four drummers --
Pheeroan akLaff,
Andrew Cyrille,
Han Bennink, and on two discs,
Jack DeJohnette. It is handsomely packaged and illustrated with liner essays by
Smith and
Vijay Iyer, and includes photos and full biographies.
Disc one, titled "Litanies, Prayers and Meditations," showcases
akLaff. Opener "The Prayer (For Keith Jarrett)" offers
Smith's innate lyricism framing a hymn-like folk song with
akLaff assenting and dancing behind him. On the tender "First Meditation from the Heart, The Beauty, The Beloved,"
Smith plays piano and trumpet. The ivories' soft tones in the first half contrast with more exploratory lyricism on the latter. Other tracks include the inquisitive suite "Rumis Masnavi: A Sonic Expression" and "The Patriot Act, Unconstitutional and a Force That Destroys Democracy" (there are three versions including ones with
Cyrille and
DeJohnette). The second disc, "Havana, Cuba," features
Cyrille -- who led a trio with
Smith and
Bill Frisell on 2018's
Lebroba. It kicks off with the best version of "The Patriot Act..." followed by the deeply spiritual "Havana, The Maghrib Prayer and Reflections" and the sprightly "United States Representative Ilhan Omar." These pieces showcase
Cyrille's sense of polyrhythmic invention as he predicts then underscores each of
Smith's deeply felt emotional lines, furious note smatters, and tonal blurs. It also contains the haunting "Haiti, An Independent Nation in 1804 But Not Recognized by Britain, France, Germany, The United States and Others: A Designed Tragedy!" and sumptuous tunes dedicated to the memories of trumpeters
Tomasz Stanko,
Donald Ayler, and
Mongezi Feza, and vocalist
Jeanne Lee. On disc three, "Mysterious Sonic Fields,"
Smith teams with Dutch drummer
Bennink. They have played together occasionally since the early '70s. It is composed of shorter, resonant pieces dedicated to jazz musicians, Civil Rights workers, and scientists. The beautifully abstracted "Louis Armstrong in New York City and Accra" is a highlight as elongated horn tones find utterance amid muted tom-tom and kick drum washes before
Smith quotes extensively from solos by the New Orleans master.
DeJohnette appears on the latter two discs. Of particular interest are the title track from "Freedom Summer, The Legacy" on which he plays piano and drums with
Smith's piano and trumpet, and the lilting "Meditation: A Sonic Circle of Double Piano Resonances" featuring acoustic and Fender Rhodes pianos. Disc five, titled "Paradise: The Gardens and Fountains," comprises a single five-part, genuinely lyrical, sometimes grooving, and often impressionistic 36-minute suite also titled "Paradise: The Gardens and Fountains."
DeJohnette, playing only drums, runs through a vocabulary of poignant blues shuffles, angular feints, funky vamps, and inquisitive fills (check "The Supreme Fountain") to challenge
Smith.
While all of these boxes are indispensable for vanguard jazz fans,
The Emerald Duets in particular is perhaps the most engaging due to the intimate emotional and creative connections
Smith shares with these brilliant drummers. ~ Thom Jurek
