Angel Falls, out October 3, 2025 via Intakt Records, thrives on the pair’s exceptional chemistry, fearless improvisational flights and shared sense of form

“Whenever I’ve played onstage with Sylvie Courvoisier… it’s always been a journey that has been mutual and creative. She’s got courage, and you can see it when she’s at the piano: When she is inspired to go toward something, she doesn’t just go near it, she advances as if she’s going there to save creation.” – Wadada Leo Smith, New York Times

Angel Falls, the scintillating duo between Sylvie Courvoisier and Wadada Leo Smith, hasn’t materialised out of thin air. A product of mutual admiration, it arrives after a series of encounters in larger ensembles. The pianist and trumpeter first played together in 2017 at a concert organised by John Zorn.