Legendary composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith presents the Second Annual CREATE Festival in New Haven, CT, a two-day celebration and exploration of his inventive and unclassifiable music that will feature world or US premiere performances of four new suites. Taking place Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8, 2018 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street, New Haven, CT, the festival will include performances by five separate ensembles over two evenings and include an exhibit of Smith’s Ankhrasmation Symbolic Language Scores. Performances take place at 7 p.m. each evening; exhibition walk-through on Sunday at 3 p.m. A full schedule of events is below. Tickets are $30 for each of the concerts; $55 for both. There is no charge for the exhibit.

Saturday, April 7th 2018,  7 pm

Lamar Smith Ensemble - Number One* composed by Lamar Smith

Lamar Smith: Guitar, Hardedge: Electronics, Thurman Barker: Drums

Kosmic Music Ensemble - Dark Matter, Dark Energy: The Unseen Suite* composed by Wadada Leo Smith

Wadada Leo Smith: Trumpet, Bobby Naughton: Vibraphone, Sylvie Courvoisier: Piano, Lamar Smith: Guitar, Thurman Barker: Drums, Jawara: Jimbe and Percussion

Great Lakes Quartet - The Great Lakes Suite composed by Wadada Leo Smith, USA Premiere

Wadada Leo Smith: Trumpet, Jonathan Haffner: Alto and Soprano Saxophone, John Lindberg: Bass, Thurman Barker: Drums

All Performances: Jesse Gilbert, Video Artist  

Sunday, April 8th

Exhibition of Ankhrasmation Scores: 3 pm at 47 Crown St, New Haven, CT

Performance: 7 pm

Harriet Tubman - President Obama's Speech at The Selma Bridge, USA Premiere composed Wadada Leo Smith

Brandon Ross: Guitar, Melvin Gibbs: Bass, J.T. Lewis: Drums, Wadada Leo Smith: Trumpet

Golden Quintet - Peace, Love and Liberty: Compassion and Respect For a Tolerant World: A Suite* composed by Wadada Leo Smith

Wadada Leo Smith: Trumpet, Anthony Davis: Piano, Ashley Walters: Cello, Pheeroan akLaff: Drums, Jesse Gilbert: Video Artist