WADADA LEO SMITH
'DARK LADY OF THE SONNETS'
MAY 23 and 24, 2022 | 8pm | LAXART
Wadada Leo Smith. Photo: Jimmy Katz
PROGRAM:
[SELECTIONS FROM THE FOLLOWING WORKS BY WADADA LEO SMITH]
STRING QUARTET No. 11 (2019)
I. Shaikh Cerno Boka
II. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
III. Sarah Bell Brown-Smith (1920-1994)
IV. Kashala Kiom Smith
('Two Stars in a Golden Sky and the Book')
V. At the Heart's Core: Knowledge (For UCLA Music Library)
VI. Sarhanna Kabell Smith
(A Reddie Copper Sky)
VII. Bessie Smith
VIII. Alvin E. Singleton
IX. Red Autumn's Gold (For Lucius G. Smith)
(World premiere)
STRING QUARTET No. 12 : 'PACIFICA'
(World premiere of version for two violins, viola and cello)
STRING QUARTET No. 13 (2020)
I. The Dark Lady of the Sonnets (Text by Amiri Baraka)
II. Billie Holiday, 1915-1959: The Dark Lady of the Sonnets
III. Fred Hampton: I am a Revolutionary for Freedom, Liberty and Justice
IV. Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party 1964
Black Panther Party 1966 - Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Bob Moses, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Elbert Howard
(West Coast premiere)
PERFORMERS:
Redkoral Quartet:
Shalini Vijayan, violin
Mona Tian, violin
Andrew McIntosh, viola
Ashley Walters, cello
Karen Parks, soprano
Wadada Leo Smith, composer
[SELECTIONS FROM THE FOLLOWING WORKS BY WADADA LEO SMITH]
STRING QUARTET No. 11 (2019)
I. Shaikh Cerno Boka
II. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
III. Sarah Bell Brown-Smith (1920-1994)
IV. Kashala Kiom Smith
('Two Stars in a Golden Sky and the Book')
V. At the Heart's Core: Knowledge (For UCLA Music Library)
VI. Sarhanna Kabell Smith
(A Reddie Copper Sky)
VII. Bessie Smith
VIII. Alvin E. Singleton
IX. Red Autumn's Gold (For Lucius G. Smith)
(World premiere)
STRING QUARTET No. 12 : 'PACIFICA'
(World premiere of version for two violins, viola and cello)
STRING QUARTET No. 13 (2020)
I. The Dark Lady of the Sonnets (Text by Amiri Baraka)
II. Billie Holiday, 1915-1959: The Dark Lady of the Sonnets
III. Fred Hampton: I am a Revolutionary for Freedom, Liberty and Justice
IV. Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party 1964
Black Panther Party 1966 - Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Bob Moses, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Elbert Howard
(West Coast premiere)
PERFORMERS:
Redkoral Quartet:
Shalini Vijayan, violin
Mona Tian, violin
Andrew McIntosh, viola
Ashley Walters, cello
Karen Parks, soprano
Wadada Leo Smith, composer
CONCERT INFORMATION:
Dates:
Monday, May 23, 2022, (8pm) and
Tuesday, May 24, 2022, (8pm)
Venue:
LAXART Gallery
7000 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Tickets:
Advanced reservation is required.
Guests with reservations should arrive by 7:45.
If there are any open seats after 7:45, then guests without reservation will be welcome to join.
Safety Measures:
Proof of vaccination required.
Indoor event. Mask required.
Distancing not required, but we will be operating at reduced capacity.
Dates:
Monday, May 23, 2022, (8pm) and
Tuesday, May 24, 2022, (8pm)
Venue:
LAXART Gallery
7000 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Tickets:
Advanced reservation is required.
Guests with reservations should arrive by 7:45.
If there are any open seats after 7:45, then guests without reservation will be welcome to join.
Safety Measures:
Proof of vaccination required.
Indoor event. Mask required.
Distancing not required, but we will be operating at reduced capacity.
Monday Evening Concerts is excited to join forces with LAXART to present an evening devoted to one of our most important living composers, Wadada Leo Smith. An early member of the revolutionary AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), Smith has spent a lifetime thinking, writing, composing, performing, teaching and collaborating with musicians such as Leroy Jenkins, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Davis, Oliver Lake and Derek Bailey.
Wadada's scores reveal an inner cosmos, spanning a wide range of experimental techniques including his signature 'Ankhrasmations.' Performing three of Smith's most recent string quartets is the RedKoral Quartet, a group that was formed by the composer for the purposes of performing his own works. In Smith's words:
'My vision of music creation is centered in the twelve string quartets that I have composed so far. Those writings began in 1963, after hearing Ornette Coleman’s recording of ‘Dedication to Poets and Writers’ (1962). His work illustrated that one could use creativity and freedom as a major source in addition to inspiration in constructing a work of art.
A majority of my string quartets have some elements of the create and ankhrasmation language, and the ensemble forms. The scores are essentially non-metric, and a full page represents a complete “bar” length, with no maintaining of the concept of downbeat and upbeat idea. The ensemble’s leadership articulation continuously fluctuates from person to person as the decision for continuity keeps changing from page to page.'
We look forward to welcoming you at these concerts!