Leila Adu has performed her original songs and improvisations at improv, jazz, indie, electronica festivals and venues in Europe, Oceania and the Americas, such Steve Beresford, Hannah Marshall, Daniel Carter, Jim Denley, Richard Nunns, Lol Coxhill, Makoto Sato, Leo Tadagawa, Carlos Allegre, Misha Marks; and as Leila Adu & The Don’ts (John Edwards, Steve Noble) and in the Songs of Curtis Mayfield with William Parker’s improvising ensemble supporting Marshall Allen & Sun Ra’s Arkestra.
Leila has recorded with improvised groups, such as Life Station (Daniel Carter, Federico Ughi, Jeff Henderson, Jeff Snyder and Federico Ughi), Truth in the Abstract Blues (Fabrizio Spera, Mike Cooper) and The Miz’Ries (Quinn Collins & Jeff Snyder) in New York. Additionally, she has taught children’s and correctional facility workshops in free-improvised music, graphic scores and conducting in Umbria, Italy, New York and Accra, Ghana.
The Miz’Ries “Sole Poltergeist”
EP, 2024 (Belts & Whistles)
East Coast noise-pop band, The Miz’ries, combine extreme ambient broken turntable with effects loops by sheriff Quinn Collins and bespoke analog Snyderphonics synthesiser from mad genius inventor Jeff Snyder with vocals and electronic percussion from New Zealand, Ghanaian, British songstress Leila Adu. The Miz’Ries have been described as “a noise band that plays 3-minute pop songs”, and as “the music that plays in the club the bad guys hang out in.”
Available digitally on Bandcamp and on all streaming services.
Tre Zampe
“The Falling, The Frailing”
Album, 2019 (Belts & Whistles)
“The Falling, The Frailing” captures the first musical meeting of improvising trio Tre Zampe, melding the confronting and subtle sound-world of guitarist Richard Comte (France), exquisitely morphing, driving drums of Francesco Pastacaldi (Italy) and warped impressionist ballads of vocalist/keyboardist Leila Adu (NZ/NYC).
With elements of free improv, jazz, noise music and no-wave, this new EP follows a collection of Adu’s poetry on the theme of the interplay between vulnerability and safety, through art, the body, citizenship, and falling in love throughout time.
Leila Adu: Vocals, Keyboard
Francesco Pastacaldi: Drums
Richard Comte: Guitar
Available digitally on Bandcamp and on all streaming services.
The Miz’Ries “Complete Control of Your Vehicle”
EP, 2016 (Belts & Whistles)
“Complete Control of Your Vehicle” is chopped and screwed primordial pop set within a future wasteland.
“Complete Control of Your Vehicle” was recorded as live improvisations in Snyder’s mad scientist lair, Synderphonics Studios, with final editing and mixing conducted at the Princeton University Electronic Music Studios. Snyder plays a homemade analog modular synthesizer: the Snyderphonics “Jesus Keys” controller (officially called the JD-1). Collins uses a turntable, running it through analog delays and distortion. Adu sings punchy improvized political vocals mixed with ballads, while layering effects and out-of-time loops on top along with distorted drum pads. This improvising and studio editing as compositional process locates The Miz’Ries within the same musical lineages as CAN and Miles Davis.
Available digitally on Bandcamp and on all streaming services.
Daniel Carter, Federico Ughi,
Leila Adu, Jeff Henderson &
Jeff Snyder
“Life Station”
EP, 2016 (577 Records)
This recording is the culmination of a wide array of cross collaborations. Daniel Carter and Federico Ughi are known in NYC’s avant-garde music scene for their prolific musical partnership that began when they met in 2000. Leila Adu and Jeff Snyder have a shared connection to Princeton University and have been collaborating on musical projects since when they were both based there. Federico Ughi and Jeff Snyder have played together in numerous groups including Federico Ughi’s own band and latest album Heart Talk (577 Records, 2016). Jeff Henderson and Leila Adu are both from New Zealand and have been affiliated for many years.
The final product of this joint effort, featuring Daniel Carter’s sublime playing intertwined with Leila Adu’s lullaby voice and piano ostinatos, Jeff Snyder’s unpredictable electronics and the abstract grooves supplied by Federico Ughi, is a recording that is a symphony for our modern ears.
Available digitally on Bandcamp.
The Miz’Ries “Emotional Performance Motorcycle”
EP, 2014 (Belts & Whistles)
Debut EP from electro-kraut digital hardcore supergroup, The Miz’ries: uber-americo noise nerd Quinn Collins plays broken records on a turntable with crazy effects, mad genius inventor Jeff Snyder plays his own analog synth creation whilst Neuseelander songstress Leila Adu sings and plays electronic drum pads.
Available digitally on Bandcamp and on all streaming services.
Leila Adu, Mike Cooper,
Fabrizio Spera
“Truth in the Abstract Blues”
Album, 2010 (RAI Trade/Tracce, Italian National Radio)
“Truth in The Abstract Blues” – the avant blues album. Fabrizio Spera (percussion), Mike Cooper (vocals, guitar & electronics) and Leila Adu (vocals, piano & jew’s harp). Recorded live in Rome for Italian National Radio.
(Currently out of print)
In italiano: Goodfellas newsletter & mailorder
Hannah Marshall,
Nicola Guazzaloca,
Gianni Mimmo, Leila Adu
“The Shoreditch Concert”
Album, 2009 (Amirani Records)
Live recorded in St. Leonard’s Shoreditch Church in London, here is a stunning, colourful, perfectly balanced, awesome concert. Interwoven lines in the crystal challenging acoustic of a severe architecture, re-designing the listening experience in a great, soulful performance.
Lyrical and angular, warm and sensual, inventive and complex!
The creative piano touch of Nicola Guazzaloca, the sparkling cello touch of Hannah Marshall, the remarkable palette of Gianni Mimmo’s soprano sax along with the flexible vocal force of Leila Adu in a memorabile concert.
Available on all streaming services.
Alison Isadora, Jan-Bas Bollen, Daniel Beban, Jeff Henderson, Antony Donaldson, Leila Adu
“sync / shed”
EP, 2001 (Space CDs) (out of print)
Recorded live at the Bomb the Space Festival of Electronic Music, The Space, Wellington Aotearoa New Zealand, 29 Sept. 2001.
“The collective Sync/Shed, which is best described as two groups in one, Sync, a duo of Alison Isadora and Jan-Bas Bollen, both on violin and electronics, and two, a quartet of guitarist Daniel Beban, saxophonist Jeff Henderson, percussionist Anthony Donaldson and vocalist Leila Adu.
The six track program itself comes from a live performance at the Bomb The Space Music Festival from September 2001, where explorative forces and textural playing is the focus. “Ditch Digger”, for instance is a extended crescendo that features Henderson’s swelling notes over an eerie soundscape. “Clums” follows a similar plan, with a focus on electronics, as Henderson takes the driver’s seat on baritone. A highlight is the aptly titled “Evan And Maceo Swap Gigs,” lead by Henderson’s extraordinary soprano sax circular breathing exercise that, after several moments of electronic manipulation, evolves into an improv funk blowout.
Improvised vocalist Adu plays an important role too, particularly on “Beat Ant,” where she interacts with Henderson’s alto and Sync’s violins over a percussive guitar/drums groove. Further, the eerie freakishness (in a good way) of “Square Peg” and “Bark,” provide evidence that this disc will prove of interest for the electro-acoustic folks that don’t mind an occasional groove.”
– Jay Collins, All About Jazz
Partido Fondamentalista Del Sonido
Leila Adu, voice, synth & electronics (NZ/NYC), Carlos Allegre, violín (Mexico), Misha Marks, lararra y corno barítono (New Zealand) and Jacob Wick saxophone (NYC).
Partido Fundamentalista del Sonido was formed when Misha Marks invited fellow New Zealander, Leila Adu, to play with Carlos Allegre and Jacob Wick on her two month residency in Mexico. Alfonso Muñoz has stepped in to replace Wicks, who is touring in the US, for this special last performance before Adu returned to New York.
MarshallBeresfordAdu™
Hannah Marshall (cello)
Steve Beresford (electronics/piano)
Leila Adu (vocals/piano)