Picture from The Guardian
We recently received the sad news that the great cello player Abdul Wadad died on August 10, 2022, at the age of 75. Please read excellent obits at NPR, The Guardian, and at The Free Jazz Blog. The always fascinating Ethen Iverson posted a tribute with an analysis of 3 great Wadud performances, including an album I have not heard before, I’ve Known Rivers (with Anthony Davis and James Newton, in addition to Wadud). I’ll be checking this album out! Link to YouTube here.
Even though Wadud has not recorded since the 1993 Oakland Duets album with Julius Hemphill, his influence on progressive music has not faltered, and musicians like cellist Tomeka Reid have carried the torch for Wadud’s music. This blog has celebrated Wadud’s music in our inaugural post on Julius Hemphill’s Dogon A.D., a record which prominently features Wadud, and our post about Wadud’s only solo cello album, By Myself.
At the time of those posts, both Dogon A.D. and By Myself were out of print, a situation which thankfully is changing. You can now get Dogon A.D. in a limited edition vinyl release from International Phonograph, and it was announced (sadly only days before Wadud’s death) that By Myself will be released by Grove Records. Wadud’s music will not fade away – its power and humanity are there to be heard by people now and in the future. Abdul Wadud lives!
Picture from Jazz R Us Facebook Page