TUM Records Celebrates
Wadada Leo Smith’s 80th Birthday Year!
Throughout 2021, TUM Records will celebrate the coming 80th birthday of renowned composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith with a series of new releases showcasing his monumental artistic vision. The yearlong celebration kicks off on May 21 with a pair of three-CD boxed sets, one an inspiring solo trumpet recording captured in a beautiful historic setting (Trumpet), the other a meeting of three true masters, Smith, Bill Laswell and Milford Graves (Sacred Ceremonies).
The new releases also bring to ten the total number of Wadada Leo Smith’s projects on TUM Records. These releases have ranged from solo and duo settings to large ensembles and an oratorio, always featuring a different aspect of Wadada Leo Smith’s uncompromising artistic vision.
“It is with great pride that TUM Records presents Wadada Leo Smith’s latest releases and thereby commences the celebration of his coming 80th birthday,” says TUM Records founder Petri Haussila. “From the very beginning, it has been our goal to foster longer term relationships with our artists, among whom Wadada Leo Smith has a special place of honor. We now have released ten projects with Wadada, each unique in its own way. Among these, Trumpet and Sacred Ceremonies are the most extensive yet. We salute Wadada for his 80th Anniversary and look forward to our continued collaboration.”
• Sacred Ceremonies – 3 CD Box Set – May 21, 2021
Disc 1: Wadada Leo Smith & Milford Graves
Disc 2: Wadada Leo Smith & Bill Laswell
Disc 3: Wadada Leo Smith, Bill Laswell & Milford Graves
• Trumpet – 3 CD Box Set – May 21, 2021
Featuring 14 new compositions for solo trumpet including four extended works
Other TUM albums coming out in the near future include:
• Title TBA – 2 CD Set – Great Lakes Quartet – release date TBA
Featuring Wadada Leo Smith, Henry Threadgill, Jack DeJohnette, John Lindberg
• Title TBA – 4 CD set of trumpet & drum duets – release date TBA
Featuring Wadada with Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Cyrille, Han Bennink, Pheeroan akLaff
• Title TBA – 6 CD set featuring Smith’s 12 String Quartets – release date TBA
2021 CONCERTS AND RESIDENCIES
Wadada’s Winter from Four Symphonies, world premiere
Performed by Ithaca College School of Music Percussion Ensemble directed by Dr Mike Truedell. Live streamed from Ithaca College on March 6
The Ithaca College’s Percussion Ensemble’s performance of Winter will also be re-broadcast as part of the Necessary Noise Festival in New Jersey in August
April 5 - May 15 – Residency at the New School, NYC
A five-week residency focusing on Winter from Four Symphonies for ensemble
May 3 – 11:30 a.m. – Symphony no. 2 Winter, from Four Symphonies
presented by the New School’s MM Performer-Composer Ensemble
June 10-13 – Residency at New Music at the Point, Vermont
The JACK Quartet will perform Wadada’s String Quartet No. 13th at the Vermont Jazz Festival. www.newmusiconthepoint.com
June 10, 2021 – Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sessions: World premiere of Wadada Leo Smith’s Delta Blues for violin, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, piano and cello. CSO Sessions Episode 21: Cult of Electromagnetic Connectivity
October 7, 2021 – Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Elson Lecture and performance of a new work featuring Wadada, Vijay Iyer and Andrew Cyrille
October 16, 2021 – Other Minds Festival, San Francisco CA
Wadada’s Reflections and Meditations on Monk Project with video artist Jesse Gilbert
December 18, 2021 – Wadada’s 80th Birthday
Streaming concert featuring Duet performances. More information TBA
