Wadada Leo Smith-Human Rights, 1985 Kabell/Gramm-lp 26

Wadada Leo Smith ,whom i believe Needs little introduction to fans of this music is surely one of the great Improviser Composers in the New Music of the last 40 years.

He also has a very distinctive and unique trumpet sound which developed and extended the unorthodox techniques pioneered by Miles Davis & Don Cherry,Bill Dixon and others but which seems simultaneously to delve much further back in jazz history than most current revivalists, and yet remain singularly Modern.

Somewhat of an oddity in many respects this lp was a co production between Smiths own Kabell label and the now little known Icelandic, Post Punk label Gramm who also have the Distinction of having released the first records by Icelandic experimental Punk band Kukl, Bjork's pre Sugar Cubes band (and they are real gems too as it happens)

Human Rights also happens to be the Smith Album(Side a ,notably) that most features his own Voice and songs in settings that have emphatic Reggae and Afro groove elements,idiomatic features which  bare a strong thematic similarity to 1993's Kulture jazz (ECM-1862)the latter being in my view one of Smiths most accessible and underrated albums.

Side B,is an entirely different Matter, A long Exploratory piece featuring, Peter Kowald ,Gunter Sommer and Koto Master Tadao Sawai..very rewarding listening to those Familiar with the great Touch the Earth -Break the Shells Cd on FMP (Now Currently Available for purchase as a Digital Down load on Destination Out, see link below)

I'm not sure why this Wasn't reissued as part of the wonderful very essential Kabell years box tzadik-7610 ,perhaps simply because it was recorded after 79, a cooperative release with another label or perhaps given it was Smiths most explicitly Rastafarian record,something he now at least partially disavows.. one can only conjecture , its one of the few relatively rare and OOP releases from a large Oeuvre

Spanning 40 years , and though perhaps not one of his finest , certainly well worth hearing ,side B is wonderful music ,precious...given how little official material exists of Smiths collaboration with Sommer and Kowald.

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Human Rights-1985 Kabell
SIDE A-

1-Ethiopia/Africa
2-Don't you remember
3-Freedom Song #
4-Rastafari

Collective personel (see insert for specifics)
Wadada Leo Smith- tpt, Mbira, Voice, Composer
James Emery-E.Guitar
Thurman Barker-perc
Michelle Navazio-Ac Guitar
'Stanya'-guitar on freedom song

recorded in #Reykjavik 29-9,84 and 6-10-85
and  in North Haven Connecticut 18-3-1985

SIDE B
Humanismo-toutamonda Muziko, Human Rights World Music
Wadada L.Smith-Tpt, Perc, Voice
Peter Kowald-db, Tuba, Perc
Tadao Sawai-Koto, Perc
Gunter 'Baby' Sommer-dr, perc

recorded live to air by Tokyo Radio, Japan
22-9-1982

NOTE-this is a straight LP rip , no processing of any kind  has been employed other than some removal of clicks and pops

Enjoy , Support Wadada Leo Smith, by buying as much as possible .... here are some links  of interest to those wishing to explore Smiths work, philosophy, methodology etc

Wadada Leo Smith Website-

Wadada Leo Smith on Soul Note-Black Saint (available releases)

Wadada Leo Smith on ECM-

Tzadik

Wadada Leo Smith at the Destination out-FMP store