Ancestors

Released in 2012 on the Finnish TUM label, Ancestors represents a significant meeting between two titans of avant-garde jazz: American trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and South African drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo. Though they had performed together briefly in the 1970s, this marks their first formal recording as a duo. The album is part of Smith's ongoing exploration of the trumpet-and-drums format, a challenging configuration that highlights his 'Ankhrasmation' compositional language. The tracks pay homage to figures like James Baldwin and Jackson Pollock, grounding the abstract improvisations in a rich cultural and political context. Sonically, the album is defined by its use of negative space, with Smith utilizing silence as a primary instrument. Critics praised the telepathic communication between the two masters, noting that the record functions as both an edifying dialogue and a spiritual meditation on heritage and creative struggle.