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Tomeka Reid

Chicago based cellist, composer and educator, Tomeka Reid has been described as "a remarkably versatile player," (Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune). Equally adept in classical and jazz contexts, Ms. Reid predominantly finds herself in experimental and improvisatory settings and composes for a wide range of instrumentation, from big band to chamber ensemble. Ms. Reid's music combines her love for groove along with freer concepts. Ms. Reid is an integral part of Dee Alexander's Evolution Ensemble, Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble/Strings, Mike Reed's Loose Assembly, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) Great Black Music Ensemble, and co-leads the internationally recognized string trio, Hear in Now with performances in Poznan, Poland; Paris, France; Rome, Venice, Milan, Italy; Soazza, Switzerland; and in the US: Chicago, New York and Vermont. In addition to the aforementioned ensembles, Ms. Reid performs with many of today's forward thinking musicians in the world of jazz and creative music including Anthony Braxton, George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell, Jeb Bishop, Myra Melford, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Mary Halvorson, Denis Fournier, Edward Wilkerson and Harrison Bankhead. Ms. Reid also leads her own trio featuring guitarist Matt Schneider and bassist Josh Abrams, for which she composes. Ms. Reid can be heard on numerous studio recordings. As an educator, Ms. Reid has led string improvisation workshops in Italy and the US. Most recently she co-directed the 2012 Vancouver Jazz Festival's High School Jazz Intensive. For seven years, Ms. Reid co-directed the string program at the University of Chicago's Laboratory School for students grade 5 thru 12. Ms. Reid is also an ABD doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign. As a composer, Ms. Reid has been commissioned by the AACM, the Chicago Jazz Festival and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble and has had several opportunities to showcase her work abroad at festivals such as Umbria Jazz, An Insolent Noise and Vignola Jazz. She has been nominated and awarded residencies for composition with the Ragdale Foundation and the 2nd Annual Make Jazz Fellowship hosted by the 18th Street Arts Organization. Ms. Reid was selected as a 2012 participant in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute held at the University of California: Los Angeles.


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Album Review

Myra Melford's Fire And Water Quintet: Hear The Light Singing

Read "Hear The Light Singing" reviewed by John Sharpe


Pianist Myra Melford's blue chip Fire And Water quintet assuredly sidesteps second album syndrome. Hear The Light Singing stands very much the equal of the band's superlative eponymous debut. The only change is that Lesley Mok takes Susie Ibarra's place behind the trapset, otherwise the triumvirate completing the starry squad remains Ingrid Laubrock on saxophones, Tomeka Reid on cello and Mary Halvorson on guitar. In the liners Melford explains that the five pieces titled “Insertions" here were ...

13
Album Review

Tomas Fujiwara 7 Poets Trio: Pith

Read "Pith" reviewed by John Sharpe


In many ways, Pith, the second offering from drummer Tomas Fujiwara's 7 Poets Trio, pursues the course set by the eponymous debut (Rogue Art, 2020) with its lightly swinging lyricism, moments of reflective calm, and a restrained aesthetic which nonetheless permits adventurous forays. The unusual instrumentation, in which the leader supplements his trapset with Tomeka Reid's cello and Patricia Brennan's vibraphone, promotes a cool, airy feel, which at times recalls the chamber elegance and collective give and take of the ...

10
Album Review

Angelika Niescier, Tomeka Reid and Savannah Harris: Beyond Dragons

Read "Beyond Dragons" reviewed by Troy Dostert


Fans of alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier already know her to be one of the most exciting voices on her instrument--someone who can shift instantly from pensive reveries to tempestuous maelstroms. And she has worked with a growing list of top-shelf partners, including drummer Tyshawn Sorey and bassist Chris Tordini, both of whom appeared on her excellent Berlin Concert (Intakt Records, 2018), and drummer Gerald Cleaver and trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, who joined Tordini and Niescier on her New York Trio (Intakt ...

10
Album Review

Tomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio: Pith

Read "Pith" reviewed by Mark Corroto


The instructions that came with Tomas Fujiwara's 2019 release, 7 Poets Trio (RogueArt), read, “I'd like to tell you as little as possible about this music before you listen to it... and create your own scenes for which these songs can be soundtracks." The same advice is warranted for Fujiwara's 7 Poets Trio follow up recording Pith. Historically, the talented composer and drummer writes music with his band mate's individual voices in mind. He does so in ensembles ...

6
Album Review

Art Ensemble Of Chicago: The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris

Read "The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris" reviewed by John Sharpe


Having first come to international prominence in Paris at the end of the '60s, it seems fitting for the Rogue Art imprint to celebrate the Art Ensemble Of Chicago's progression into their sixth decade in the same city. This double CD documents the performance of an extended AEC at the Sons d'hiver Festival in February 2019. Only reedman & composer Roscoe Mitchell and drummer Famoudou Don Moye survive from the original quintet but, rather than accept this as a limitation, ...

6
Album Review

Ingrid Laubrock: The Last Quiet Place

Read "The Last Quiet Place" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock always seems to search out new instrumental configurations for her music. This time out, she and her musical and life partner, drummer Tom Rainey, collaborate with a quartet of accomplished string players, guitarist Brandon Seabrook, violinist Mazz Swift, cellist Tomeka Reid, and bassist Michael Formanek. Together they create stimulating music which can be many things. At different times it sounds formal, urgent, placid, and violent. “Afterglow" and “Anticipation" explore some of the classical possibilities of ...

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In Pictures

ArtActs 2023

Read "ArtActs 2023" reviewed by Luciano Rossetti


A collection of photos from the ArtActs in St. Johann in Tirol from March 2, 2023 to March 5, 2023 featuring John Edwards, Joelle Leandre, Elisabeth Harnik, Susana Santos Silva, Mats Gustafsson, Craig Taborn, Tomeka Reid, Ken Vandermark and many others. ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Vijay Iyer Trio, Dianne Reeves, Tomeka Reid's Artifacts Trio, and more

Jazz this week: Vijay Iyer Trio, Dianne Reeves, Tomeka Reid's Artifacts Trio, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

It's going to be a very busy few days for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several noteworthy touring headliners in town, plus the beginning of our town's annual cornucopia of holiday-themed performances from both visiting and local musicians. Let's go to the highlights... Friday, December 2 Singer Dianne Reeves returns to St. Louis for the first time since 2013 with a holiday-themed concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Reeves will offer her interpretations of seasonal favorites ...

Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Tomeka Reid

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Tomeka Reid

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's get acquainted via video with the jny: Chicago-based cellist and composer Tomeka Reid, who will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle next Friday, December 3 at Joe's Cafe. Reid, who grew up in Maryland near Washington DC and is now in her late 30s, is an active participant in Chicago's busy jazz and improvised music scene, moving freely between various musical projects of her own and those led by others. She also has significant ...

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Recording

Rudi Records new release: "Hear in Now" by Mazz Swift, Tomeka Reid and Silvia Bolognesi

Rudi Records new release: "Hear in Now" by Mazz Swift, Tomeka Reid and Silvia Bolognesi

Source: Massimo Iudicone

Hear in Now (Rudi Records, 2012) Mazz Swift: violin Tomeka Reid: cello Silvia Bolognesi: doublebass “If the same piece of music is played multiple times it will take on a new life at each performance. When improvisation is added the music becomes new music that did not exist before. The music I speak about is the music coming from “HEAR in NOW," the trio consisting of Mazz Swift on violin, Tomeka Reid on cello ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Last Quiet Place

Pyroclastic Records
2023

buy

Pith

Out Of Your Head Records
2023

buy

Beyond Dragons

Intakt Records
2023

buy

Anticipation

From: The Last Quiet Place
By Tomeka Reid

Anticipation

From: The Last Quiet Place
By Tomeka Reid

Combustion 1

From: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
By Tomeka Reid

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