Procession of the Great Ancestry
| Procession of the Great Ancestry | ||||
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| Studio album by Wadada Leo Smith | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | February 28, 1983 | |||
| Studio | Acme Recording, Chicago | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 47:15 | |||
| Label | Nessa | |||
| Producer | Chuck Nessa | |||
| Wadada Leo Smith chronology | ||||
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| reissue cover | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | |
Procession of the Great Ancestry is an album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith which was recorded in 1983, first released in 1989 on the English Chief label licensed by Nessa Records and reissued in 2009 on Nessa.
The album includes four compositions dedicated to trumpeters who have inspired Smith (Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Booker Little and Roy Eldridge) and performed by a quartet including vibraphonist Bobby Naughton, bassist Joe Fonda and percussionist Kahil El'Zabar. On two vocal tracks the ensemble is joined by bassist Mchaka Uba and blues guitarist Louis Myers. The final track is a Martin Luther King tribute and the quartet is joined by tenor saxophonist John Powell.
In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek says "Procession of the Great Ancestry is among Wadada Leo Smith's most obscure, but ultimately most satisfying, recordings. This was the first album to showcase Smith's expansive vision, which included all forms of black music -- from the myriad languages of jazz to gutbucket blues, reggae, and various African folk musics as well as a little R&B groove for measure."
The Penguin Guide to Jazz states "'Smith makes no attempt to pastiche any of his musical ancestors. A wonderful record, despite the overcooked poetics."
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