Light Upon Light (album) explained

Light Upon Light
Type:	studio
Artist:	Wadada Leo Smith
Cover:	Light_Upon_Light_album_cover.jpeg
Released:	1999
Studio:	Capital Recording, Los Angeles, CalArts, Valencia, California
Genre:	Jazz
Length:	52:17
Label:	Tzadik
Producer:	Wadada Leo Smith
Chronology:	Wadada Leo Smith
Prev Title:	Condor, Autumn Wind
Prev Year:	1998
Next Title:	Reflectativity
Next Year:	2000

Light Upon Light is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith which was released in 1999 on the Tzadik Records' Composer Series.^{[1] [2] [3]} The album includes a composition for chamber ensemble and gamelan quartet, a solo piece for viola, a bass concerto written for Bert Turetzky and two electronic pieces.^[4]

Reception

In her review for AllMusic, Joslyn Layne states "Wadada Leo Smith's second recording for the Tzadik label, Light Upon Light, is more spacious and a little colder than his first, Tao-Njia."

Track listing

All compositions by Wadada Leo Smith.

1. "Moths, Flames and the Giant Sequoia Redwood Trees" - 15:33
2. "Hetep: Serenity: Tranquility 2" - 8:05
3. "Multiamerica" - 10:27
4. "Nur: Luminous, Light Upon Light" - 14:01
5. "A Thousand Cranes: A Memorial for Amir Hamzehi" - 4:11

Personnel

Moths, Flames and the Giant Sequoia Redwood Trees

• Stephen "Lucky" Mosko – conductor
• Dorothy Stone – piccolo flute, alto flute
• Martin Walker – clarinet, bass clarinet
• Arthur Jarvinen – vibraphone, Tibetan temple bells, hi-hat cymbale-sets, axatse, large bass drum
• Vicki Ray – piano
• Robin Lorentz – violin
• Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick – cello
• I. Nyoman Wenten – gender barung
• Joh Parsons – gender panembung
• I. Wayhan Budha – kempul, gong ageng
• Wadada Leo Smith – kenong

Hetep Serenity Tranquility 2

• Karen Elaine Bakunin – viola

Multiamerica

• Wadada Leo Smith – trumpet
• Mark Trayle – electronics
• Harumi Makino Smith – poetry

Nur Luminous, Light Upon Light

• David Rosenboom – conductor
• Bertram Turetzky – double bass
• Dorothy Stone – piccolo, alto flute
• Allen Vogel – oboe
• Bill Powell – clarinet, bass clarinet
• Arthur Jarvinen – marimba
• Vicki Ray – celesta
• Brian Pezzone – harmonium
• Robin Lorentz – violin
• Karen Elaine Bakunin – viola
• Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick – cello

A Thousand Cranes A Memorial for Amir Hamzehi

• Wadada Leo Smith – trumpet
• Mark Trayle – electronics

Notes and References

1. Reader Top Ten Picks . . 10 January 2000 . 59 . 27 June 2019 . CMJ Network, Inc. . en.
2. Book: Bivins . Jason . Spirits Rejoice!: Jazz and American Religion . 2015 . . 9780190230913 . 342 . 27 June 2019 . en.
3. Web site: Wadada Leo Smith discography . Jazz Lists . jazzlists.com . 4 June 2018.
4. http://wadadaleosmith.com/pages/l_upon_l.html Light Upon Light