Divine Love

Recently described by Vijay Iyer as "one of the greatest recorded works of all time", Wadada Leo Smith's Divine Love counts as a classic by any definition.

"His sound has strong resemblances to that of Miles Davis," wrote John Fordham in a five-star Guardian review, "but Smith has absorbed the approaches of all the bebop trumpet heroes and redeployed them within a bold, vital and often ritualistic setting." The composition "Tastalun" features three outstanding trumpet players, as Lester Bowie and Kenny Wheeler join Smith, and Charlie Haden plays soulfully on "Spirituals: The Language of Love." Recorded 1978.

Personnel: Leo Smith: trumpet, flugelhorn, steel-o-phone, gongs, percussion; Dwight Andrews: alto flute, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, triangles, mbira; Bobby Naughton: vibraharp, marimba, bells; Charlie Haden: double bass; Lester Bowie: trumpet; Kenny Wheeler: trumpet