Ten Freedom Summers cover

Ten Freedom Summers

Wadada Leo Smith · 2012

273 min · 19 tracks · jazz

A sweeping orchestral jazz exploration intertwining civil rights narratives with profound emotional depth.

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Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • dynamic exploration of historical themes
  • wave-like pacing with emotional depth
  • immersive storytelling through sound
  • reflective listening for deep engagement
  • long-form narratives inviting contemplation

Maybe skip if you want

  • prefer short, standalone tracks
  • seek instant gratification in music

Where this album fits

Career context
By 2012, Wadada Leo Smith was a celebrated figure in avant-garde jazz, known for his innovative trumpet work. 'Ten Freedom Summers' arrived as his first major orchestral project after years of influential small group recordings, marking a significant evolution in his artistic expression.
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Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Dred Scott: 1857 11:48
  • 2 Malik Al Shabazz and the People of the Shahada 5:15
  • 3 Emmett Till: Defiant, Fearless 18:02
  • 4 Thurgood Marshall and Brown Vs. Board of Education: A Dream of Equal Education, 1954 15:05
  • 5 John F. Kennedy's New Frontier and the Space Age, 1960 22:08

Disc 2

  • 1 Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 381 Days 12:43
  • 2 Black Church 16:35
  • 3 Freedom Summer: Voter Registration, Acts of Compassion and Empowerment, 1964 12:34
  • 4 Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 24:12

Disc 3

  • 1 The Freedom Riders Ride 16:40
  • 2 Medgar Evers: A Love-Voice of a Thousand Years' Journey for Liberty and Justice 10:07
  • 3 The D.C. Wall: A War Memorial for All Times 12:17
  • 4 Buzzsaw: The Myth of a Free Press 15:03
  • 5 The Little Rock Nine: A Force for Desegregation in Education, 1957 13:49

Disc 4

  • 1 America, Parts 1, 2 & 3 14:11
  • 2 September 11th, 2001: A Memorial 9:39
  • 3 Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, 1964 8:36
  • 4 Democracy 14:30
  • 5 Martin Luther King, Jr: Memphis, the Prophecy 20:34

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