Tao-Njia

Tao-Njia
Studio album by Wadada Leo Smith
Released	1996
Recorded	November 17 & December 14, 1995
Studio	Capital Recording, Los Angeles, CalArts, Valencia, California
Genre	Jazz
Length	43:00
Label	Tzadik
Producer	Wadada Leo Smith
Wadada Leo Smith chronology
Kulture Jazz (1993) Tao-Njia (1996) Golden Hearts Remembrance (1997)

Tao-Njia is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith which was recorded in 1995 and released on the Tzadik Records' Composer Series. ^[1]

Music

"Another Wave More Waves" is performed by Smith's ensemble N'Da Kulture. "Double Thunderbolt" is a composition in six movements created as a memorial for Don Cherry with poetry by Smith's wife, Harumi Makino Smith. On the title track, the trumpeter is backed by the California E.A.R. Unit, a chamber ensemble conducted by Stephen "Lucky" Mosko.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	[3]
Down Beat	[4]
Tom Hull	B [5]

In her review for AllMusic, Joslyn Layne states "Incorporating personal philosophy and beliefs into his compositions through mood and accompanying texts, Smith creates a warm album of spiritual instrumental music." ^[2]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz notes "Recent years have seen Smith personally and musically involved with Oriental culture, and this is strongly reflected in Tao-Njia. Acoustically, it is one of his most remarkable records, a rich montage of sounds that are at once new and immediately familiar." ^[3]

The Down Beat review by John Corbett says "Tao Njia's three pieces are gentle, deceptively spacious compositions loaded with the gestural oomph of a master calligrapher. One might call them 'chamberish,' but that would be to miss their stylistic breadth, their Asian classical overtones and the force of Smith's soloing." ^[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Wadada Leo Smith.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Another Wave More Waves"	9:30
2.	"Double Thunderbolt: Memorial for Don Cherry"	12:14
3.	"Tao-Njia"	21:16
Total length:		43:00

Personnel

• Wadada Leo Smith – trumpet, flugelhorn, bamboo flute, nohkan, axatse, monophony-bar, Indian low bell, Japanese high bell, pre-recorded mbira
• David Philipson – two low drums, frame drums, bansuri, axatse, Tibetan temple bells
• Mika Noda – vibraphone, tubular bells, timpani
• Harumi Makino Smith – poetry
• Dorothy Stone – flute, alto flute, piccolo
• Martin Walker – clarinet, bass clarinet
• Vicki Ray – piano, celesta
• Robin Lorentz – violin
• Erika Duke – cello
• Stephen Lucky Mosko – conductor

References

1. "Wadada Leo Smith discography". Jazz Lists. jazzlists.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
2. Layne, Joslyn. Wadada Leo Smith - Tao-Njia: Review at AllMusic . Retrieved November 17, 2015.
3. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2002) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (6th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 1361. ISBN   0-14-051521-6.
4. Corbett, Joihn. Tao Njia review. Down Beat April 97. Print.
5. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Wadada Leo Smith". Tom Hull . Retrieved July 9, 2020.