Composer and legendary AACM member Wadada Leo Smith, bass player John Edwards and drummer Mark Sanders have performed together as part of various groups for approximately 10 years, but an upcoming concert at Riga’s Skaņu Mežs festival will be the first occasion for them to perform as a trio.
This year Skaņu Mežs Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts will happen for the 12th time and will take place at the Daile concert hall (Kr. Barona street 31) in Riga, Latvia. Besides Smith, Edwards and Sanders, other improvisers, such as Okkyung Lee, Phil Minton and Audrey Chen, will perform. ...
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Composer and legendary AACM member Wadada Leo Smith, bass player John Edwards and drummer Mark Sanders have performed together as part of various groups for approximately 10 years, but an upcoming concert at Riga’s Skaņu Mežs festival will be the first occasion for them to perform as a trio.
This year Skaņu Mežs Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts will happen for the 12th time and will take place at the Daile concert hall (Kr. Barona street 31) in Riga, Latvia. Besides Smith, Edwards and Sanders, other improvisers, such as Okkyung Lee, Phil Minton and Audrey Chen, will perform.
The 12th edition of Skaņu Mežs is a part of the official program of Riga being the European Capital of Culture 2014. It is going to be characterized by a subtle balance between the electronic and the acoustic, the improvised and the tightly woven, the obvious and the abstract. These contrasts will be reflected both in the program of the festival as well as within particular performances. Such a perspective will be taken upon in order to defend the idea that progress and innovation in music is dependant foremost on bold ideas and flexible language, not just technology.
Wadada Leo Smith has been active in the creative contemporary music world for over 30 years and in 2013 was one of the three Finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. A trumpet player, multi-instrumentalist, composer and improviser, his original theory of jazz and world music has been significant in his musical development as an artist and educator.
Born in Leland, Miss., Smith's early musical life began in high school concert and marching bands. At the age of 13, he became immersed in the Delta Blues and improvisational music traditions. As an improvisor-composer, Smith has studied a variety of music cultures (African, Japanese, Indonesian, European and American) and to fully express this music, he has developed an original theory and notation system for jazz and world music which he calls Ankhrasmation.
Double bass player John Edwards has always been involved with a wide diversity of musical styles and situations. At home with composed and improvised music he is one of the busiest musicians on the scene.
Involved in dozens of projects and groups, 2013 saw him performing at major festivals throughout Europe as well as in Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Canada and Russia. 2014 is proving even busier.
Probably best known for his work with Evan Parker, John Butcher, Peter Broetzmann, Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Smith, Sonny Murray etc, he has been in groups such as God and B-shops for the Poor, while at present continues to collaborate with electro-accoustic composer John Wall,Robert Wyatt, Spring Heel Jack, FunDaMental and play in groups with Mulatu Astatke, Louis Moholo, Marshall Allen, Ingrid Laubrock, Charles Hayward, to name a few.
Drummer Mark Sanders has played with many renowned musicians from around the world including Peter Brotzmann, Derek Bailey, Myra Melford, Henry Grimes, Okkyung Lee, Otomo Yoshihide, in duo and quartets with Wadada Leo Smith and trios with Charles Gayle with Sirone and William Parker. Mark and John Edwards have a long history as a rhythm section with many groups including Evan Parker Trio, Trevor Watts Quartet, Foils with Frank Paul Schubert and Matthius Muller, John Tilbury and Mathew Shipp. Also a member of Christian Marclay`s Everyday project. His solo recording „Swallow chase” has received much critical acclaim.
Skaņu Mežs’2014 is supported by EU programme “Culture”, Riga City Council, Latvian State Endowment for Arts (VKKF), Trust for Mutual Understanding, US embassy in Latvia, iRobot, LaserAnimation Sollinger, L’Institut français Lettonie, Ministry of Culture Republic of Latvia, Goethe-Institut Riga.
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