Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith is, in a word, unique. The sui generis trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, 
composer, improviser and Educator has his own theory of improvisation, his own musical notation, his own aesthetic and his own sound. At CalArts he is Coordinator, African American Improvisational Music Faculty, Composition; and Performance: Trumpet. His new project is Ten Freedom Summers, a three evening cycle of concerts inspired by the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1964.