The Year of the Elephant

This article is about the music album. For the Islamic historical event, see Year of the Elephant.

The Year of the Elephant
Studio album by Wadada Leo Smith
Released	2002
Recorded	April 18 and 19, 2002
Studio	MRS Recording Studio, New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	60:30
Label	Pi Recordings
Producer	Wadada Leo Smith
Wadada Leo Smith chronology
Red Sulphur Sky (2001) The Year of the Elephant (2002) Luminous Axis (2002)

The Year of the Elephant is the twenty-fifth studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith which was recorded in 2002 and released on Pi Recordings. ^[1] It was the second recording by his Golden Quartet featuring pianist Anthony Davis, bassist Malachi Favors and drummer Jack DeJohnette. ^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings

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

In his review for AllMusic, David R. Adler states "Both Davis and DeJohnette are credited on synthesizer, but the sounds they employ are remarkably close to the old-fashioned, analog Wurlitzer. Combined with Favors' resonant, grooving basslines and DeJohnette's loose straight-eighth rhythms the result is somewhat akin to Miles Davis in the In a Silent Way period." ^[3]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz describes the album as "A surprisingly straight-ahead jazz record, strongly influenced by electric-period Miles Davis." ^[4]

The All About Jazz review by Dan McClenaghan says "Smith's horn work is very Miles-like, the wounded, open horn cry, the plaintive and introspective mute work, the judicious use of silence." ^[6]

In his review for JazzTimes Duck Baker notes that "Even though '70s Miles is a frequent departure point for The Year of the Elephant, jazz-rock fans may not feel comfortable with the music while listeners who usually have trouble with rock-type rhythms may be amazed to hear them used in such a creative context." ^[7]

Track listing

All compositions by Wadada Leo Smith

1. "Al-Madinah" – 10:01
2. "Piru" – 10:51
3. "The Zamzam Well a Stream of a Pure Light" – 8:56
4. "Kangaroo's Hollow" – 7:06
5. "The Year of the Elephant" – 9:19
6. "Miles Star in 3 Parts: Star/Seed/Blue Fire" – 14:17

Personnel

• Wadada Leo Smith – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Anthony Davis – piano, synthesizer
• Malachi Favors – bass
• Jack DeJohnette – drums, synthesizer

References

1. "Wadada Leo Smith discography". Jazz Lists. jazzlists.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
2. The Year of the Elephant at Pi Recordings
3. Adler, David R.. Wadada Leo Smith – The Year of the Elephant: Review at AllMusic . Retrieved October 16, 2015.
4. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). London: Penguin. pp.  1211. ISBN   0141023279.
5. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Wadada Leo Smith". Tom Hull . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
6. McClenaghan, Dan. The Year of the Elephant review at All About Jazz
7. Baker, Duck. The Year of the Elephant review at JazzTimes