Seattle Symphony Orchestra - Symphony 1 / Violin Cto 2 / Enormous Room - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

(4-CD box set) The Chicago Symphonies is a magnificent four-CD boxed set by Wadada Leo Smith's Great Lakes Quartet. Each disc includes one of the four symphonies composed by Wadada Leo Smith for this quartet. The first three symphonies, InchGold Symphony,Inch InchDiamond SymphonyInch and InchPearl Symphony,Inch are performed by Wadada Leo Smith with saxophonist/flutist Henry Threadill, bassist John Lindberg and drummer Jack DeJohnette whereas the fourth, InchSapphire Symphony - The Presidents and Their Visions of America,Inch features Smith with saxophonist Jonathon Haffner, Lindberg and DeJohnette. The idea of a symphony composed for a quartet was first presented by Don Cherry on his classic recording Symphony For Improvisers in 1966 but Wadada Leo Smith has brought this idea to the present day and broadened it to include social and political into the creative space. The Chicago Symphonies celebrate the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and the historical development of creative music in Chicago starting with Louis Armstrong and through Sun Ra onto the AACM as well as, in the case of InchSapphire Symphony,Inch Abraham Lincoln and Baraka Hussein Obama

The tour starts in Uzbekistan, of which there are later glimpses. There is a visit to the historic Russian town of Suzdal and scenes from St Petersburg as well as from Ukraine. It would be impossible to avoid the Russian winter, which appears in various guises, providing entertainment for some and for others a seemingly enchanted snow-bound landscape.. The final in the Naxos Seattle Collection pairs two youthful masterpieces. Extremely well received recordings when first issued on Delos.

William Schuman juggled many careers in his full and productive life teacher, administrator, conductor and composer of ten symphonies as well as a significant representation of music in many genres.