The Sound of Wadada Leo Smith (Preview)

Wadada Leo Smith, JazzFest Berlin, October 30, 2025. Photo © Berliner Festspiele / Camille Blake. The first of three subscriber posts on Substack on this year’s JazzFest Berlin. The first two are longer essays on particular sets by Wadada Leo Smith and Vijay Iyer and by Pat Thomas, the third a more general overview of the festival. How to describe Smith’s sound? You could say : “Smith plays a…