Lake Biwa is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith released on John Zorn's Tzadik label in 2004.[1][2] The album contains four pieces composed between 2000 and 2004.
| Lake Biwa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 2004 | |||
| Studio | Avatar, New York City | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde jazz | |||
| Length | 69:34 | |||
| Label | Tzadik TZ 8008 | |||
| Producer | Wadada Leo Smith | |||
| Wadada Leo Smith chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Penguin Guide to Jazz | [4] |
| Tom Hull | B+[5] |
The Allmusic review states: "Lake Biwa is a delight, and is full of invention. The players here perform the work's written and improvised sections with a determined sense of attack that also includes warmth, humor, and the desire for collective discovery".[3] Writing for All About Jazz, Kurt Gottschalk commented "Over four pieces ranging from 10 to 25 minutes, the ensemble truly is an orchestra. When called upon to step forward, the voices of Ribot and Zorn especially are unmistakable. But the rest of the time, the group breathes together like an orchestra rather than a session group group reading charts. The compositions themselves are both serious and exciting and violinist Jennifer Choi (a regular performer of Zorn's compositions) especially shines".[6]
Track listing
editAll compositions by Wadada Leo Smith.
- "Lake Biwa; A Fullmoon Purewater Gold" - 11:14
- "Sinai's Enclosed Garden of the Truth" - 23:50
- "Diamondback Serpent in a House Full of Water and Still Rising" - 16:00
- "Africana World" - 18:30
Personnel
edit- Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet
- John Zorn - alto saxophone
- Marcus Rojas - tuba
- Jennifer Choi - violin
- Erik Friedlander - cello
- Marc Ribot - guitar
- Anthony Coleman, Yuko Fujiyama, Jamie Saft, Craig Taborn - piano
- Wes Brown, John Lindberg - bass
- Gerald Cleaver, Susie Ibarra, Kwaku Kwaakye Obeng - drums
References
edit- ^ Tzadik catalogue, accessed May 27, 2015
- ^ "Wadada Leo Smith discography". Jazz Lists. jazzlists.com. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ a b Jurek, Thom. Lake Biwa – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- ^ "Penguin Guide to Jazz: 4-Star Records in 8th Edition". Tom Hull. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Wadada Leo Smith". Tom Hull. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ Gottshalk, K., All About Jazz Review, May 28, 2006.