The endlessly innovative composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith presents the Third Annual CREATE Festival in New Haven, CT, a two-day gathering to delve deeply into his multi-faceted and unclassifiable music featuring brilliant works for a diverse roster of musicians and ensembles. Taking place Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, 2019 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street, New Haven, CT, the festival will include performances by four of Wadada’s own wide-ranging groups as well as unique collaborations and solo performances, alongside an exhibit of Smith’s Ankhrasmation Symbolic Language Art-Scores. Performances take place at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; a dialogue with Wadada and Professor Nina Sun Eidsheim will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m with a catered lunch to follow. A full schedule of events is below. Tickets are $30 for each of the concerts; $55 for both. The dialogue is free (email carl@firehouse12.com to reserve a ticket), the lunch is $30 per person, $50 for couples, with limited seating.
CREATE Festival 2019
Saturday April 6th - 7:00pm
Blue Meditations/No. 2
Lamar Smith Ensemble: Lamar Smith - guitar, Melvin Gibbs – electric bass, Pheeroan akLaff - drums, Hardedge - electronics
The First Light Gold / The Second Light Blue from Rosa Parks: Pure Love
Mona Tian - violin
Spirituals: The Language of Love from Divine Love
Wadada Leo Smith’s NDA: Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet, Bobby Naughton - vibraphone, Dwight Andrews – bass clarinet, flute, Eunhye Jeong – piano, John Lindberg - bass
Tastalun with soundtrack from Divine Love
Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet
Spiritual Horizons
Lake Tanganyika Nur-Water
Wadada Leo Smith’s Najwa and Harriet Tubman: Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet, Brandon Ross - guitar, Lamar Smith - guitar, Melvin Gibbs – electric bass, Bill Laswell – electric bass, JT Lewis - drums
All compositions by Wadada Leo Smith, Kiom Music
CREATE Festival 2019
Sunday, April 7th - 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Exhibit of Ankhrasmation Symbolic Language Art-Scores
Creative Dialogue with Nina Sun Eidsheim and Wadada Leo Smith on the Ankhrasmation Symbolic Language Art-Scores
FREE (email carl@firehouse12.com to reserve a ticket)
Artists’ Lunch with Wadada Leo Smith after dialogue
$30 or $50 for couples (includes dialogue)
Food Catering
Bonfire Grille & Bridgehouse Restaurant, Milford CT
Artists’ Lunch hosted by Kashala Smith-Tavaris, Sarhanna K. Smith, Laura Maiocco
CREATE Festival 2019
Sunday, April 7th - 7:00pm:
When the Saints go Marching In/*Blues Melody
Jaya Smith-Tavaris – piano, Belle Smith-Tavaris – dance*
Sweet Bay Magnolia with Berry Clusters
Ashley Walters – cello, Oguri – dance
Lake Biwa a Full Moon Pure Water Gold
Min Xiao-Fen – pipa, Wadada Leo Smith – trumpet, Oguri – dance
JFK in Dallas: Parkland: 11.22.1963
Mariam Makeba: A Magnificent Voice: The Empress of Peace: 1932-2008
Wadada Leo Smith’s Golden Quintet: Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet, Erika Dohi - piano, Ashley Walters - cello, John Lindberg - bass, Pheeroan akLaff - drums
All compositions by Wadada Leo Smith, Kiom Music
CREATE Festival is made possible with generous support from the Doris Duke Foundation in partnership with Creative Capital. Smith received a Doris Duke Artist Award in 2016.