1997 · Album
Prataksis
Recorded 1997 · Nine Winds Records · Produced by not credited
Three Voices in Real Time, No Safety Net
Linear, transparent, and full of fresh dynamics—recorded live in the studio with no second takes and no edits.
Prataksis hinges on Vinny Golia's ability to move between instruments and sonic territories without losing focus. The multi-instrumentalist is the connective tissue here, pivoting between reeds and horns while Wadada Leo Smith articulates his microtonally inflected trumpet language and Bertram Turetzky anchors the low end on double bass. What makes this trio work is that Golia doesn't simply accompany—he proposes, challenges, and sometimes withdraws entirely, creating space for Smith's longer melodic arcs to unfold.
The eight tracks were cut live in the studio with no overdubs or second takes, and that stakes-raising approach is audible throughout. There is nowhere to hide. J. Norris of Coda heard this as a quiet masterpiece, and the description fits: the album moves without flash, building its power from honest listening and real-time conversation. Thom Jurek of AllMusic noted the microtonality—the bent pitches and fractional intervals that Smith and Golia pursue together—links back to figures like Joe Maneri, but Smith adds his own Third World melodic sensibility, one where a phrase isn't finished until every voice in the group has answered it.
This is not a debut or a turning point in Smith's catalog, but it sits comfortably beside his best small-group work. For listeners already attuned to free jazz and microtonal exploration, it rewards close listening. For newcomers, start with Wadada Leo Smith's Celestial Territory (1974) first; Prataksis assumes you know the language he speaks. The album's value lies in how cleanly it documents three improvisers thinking at the same speed, in real time, without a net.
