Spirit Catcher (album)

Spirit Catcher
Studio album by
Wadada Leo Smith
Released1979
RecordedMay 21, 1979
StudioVan Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
GenreJazz
Length38:34 (LP)
49:47 (CD)
LabelNessa
ProducerChuck Nessa
Wadada Leo Smith chronology
Budding of a Rose
(1978) 		Spirit Catcher
(1979) 		Touch the Earth
(1980)

Spirit Catcher is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, recorded in 1979 and released on Nessa Records.[1]

Background

Smith leads the New Dalta Akhri, a quintet with Dwight Andrews, Bobby Naughton, Wes Brown and Pheeroan akLaff, in two original compositions: "Images" and "Spirit Catcher". In addition, Smith prepared a very unusual piece for muted trumpet and three harps: "The Burning of Stones", a composition dedicated to Anthony Braxton with elements of two traditions involving harp-like instruments, the West African kora and the Japanese koto.[2][3] The 2009 CD reissue adds an alternate version of this piece.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[6]

In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow states: "This is thought-provoking music that grows in interest with each listen."[4] The All About Jazz review by Clifford Allen says: "Recorded crisply by Rudy Van Gelder (unlike the somewhat murky Kabell LPs), Spirit Catcher presents Smith's earlier music with clarity and warmth."[7]

Track listing

All compositions by Wadada Leo Smith
  1. "Images" - 19:09
  2. "The Burning of Stones" - 9:42
  3. "Spirit Catcher" - 9:43

Bonus track on CD

  2. "The Burning of Stones" first version - 11:13

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Wadada Leo Smith discography". Jazz Lists. jazzlists.com. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  2. ^ Original liner notes by Robert Palmer
  3. ^ Spirit Catcher at Nessa Records
  4. ^ a b Yanow, Scott. Wadada Leo Smith - Spirit Catcher: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin. "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music". p. 4997. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  6. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 183. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  7. ^ Allen, Clifford. Spirit Catcher review at All About Jazz