Heart's Reflections in Bloomington, MN

Wadada Leo Smith
's large ensemble
Organic
made their first appearance on the second disc of his 2009 double CD,
Spiritual Dimensions
; this, though, is the group's first set of studio recordings. In the late '90s and early 2000s,
Smith
co-led the band
Yo Miles!
with guitarist
Henry Kaiser
, reinterpreting (and later writing original music inspired by) the 1970s work of
Miles Davis
' guitar-heavy electric funk bands.
's music is superficially similar to that band's, but with a much greater degree of abstraction (in addition to
's trumpet, two saxophones, and up to four electric guitarists, the ensemble features one upright and one electric bassist, a violinist, and two members performing on laptops) and a generally more meditative feel that's likely rooted in the leader's deep and constant spiritual questing. Tracks carry dedications to
Don Cherry
and
's
AACM
peer, violinist
Leroy Jenkins
, as well as
Toni Morrison
and Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, the founder of the Shadhili order of Sufi Muslims who died in 1258. So while the opening
"Don Cherry's Electric Sonic Garden"
is a 20-minute funk jam, the two-part
"The Dhikr of Radiant Hearts"
feels more like
Davis
'
"He Loved Him Madly"
crossed with
John Coltrane
"Love Consequences Serenity"
from
Meditations
. The balance between groove and gentle exploration is retained throughout both discs of this nearly two-hour set, and while listening to it as a marathon session may be challenging, there's not a moment here that feels ill-conceived or superfluous. This is a masterwork by one of the great heroes of American avant-garde jazz. ~ Phil Freeman