The ensemble performance is thrilling for its alternation of tonal density and thematic clarity, but it is the moments when Smith is alone, with the intimacy of the blues and a few vapour trails of guitar, that are memorable.

Najwa features a hard-hitting electric band that includes four electric guitarists. Four extended works honor the spirit of Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Ronald Shannon Jackson and Billie Holiday without imitating their musical identities. Each piece is constructed as a suite, with shifting instrumental combinations delineating different sections. Musically, the most obvious reference is Miles Davis’ electric music, with guitars and Smith’s horn waxing lyric over thick, churning grooves.