Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith. trumpet-player, multi-instrumentalist, composer and improviser has been active in the creative contemporary world music for over thirty years. His theory of jazz and world music was significant in his music development as an artist and educator.
As an Improviser-Composer, Leo Smith has studied a variety of music cultures (African, Japanese, Indonesian, European and American) and has developed a Jazz and world music theory, and a notation system to fully express this music which he calls "Ankhrasmation".
Leo Smith’s awards includes; Meet the Composer/ Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning Program 1996, Asian Cultural Council Grantee to Japan June-August 1993; Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning Program 1990; New York Foundation on the Arts Fellowship in Music 1990; Numerous Meet the Composer Grants since1977; and National Endowment for the Arts Music Grants 1972, 1974, 1981. Mr. Smith's music philosophy "Notes (8 Pieces) Source a New World Music: Creative Music" was published by Kiom Press in 1973, and translated and published in Japan by Zen-On Music Company Ltd. in 1976. In 1981 "Notes" was translated into Italian and published by Nistri-Litschi Editori.
Leo Smith was invited to a conference of artists, scientists and philosophers called "Third Culture Copenhagen" in Denmark 1996 and presented a paper on his Ankhrasmation music theory and notational system for creative musicians. Leo Smith's Nda-Kulture ensemble has performed most of his music since 1970. Leo Smith’s compositions have been performed by other contemporary music ensembles: AACM-Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Player, New Century Players, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Contemporary Chamber Players (University of Chicago), S.E.M. Ensemble and California E.A.R. Unit.
Some of the artists Mr. Smith has performed with are : Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Richard Teitelbaum, Joseph Jarman, George Lewis, Cecil Taylor, Andrew Cyrill, Oliver Lake, Anthony Davis, Carla Bley, David Murray, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, Milton Campbell, Henry Brant, Richard Davis, Tadao Sawai, Ed Blackwell, Sabu Toyozumi, Peter Kowald, Kazuko Shiraishi, Han Bennink, Misja Mengelberg, Marion Brown, Kazutoki Umezu, Kosei Yamamoto, Charlie Haden, Kang Tae Hwan, Kim Dae Hwan, Tom Buckner, Malachi Favors Magoustous and Jack Dejohnette, among many others.