Cover Feature: The New York City Jazz Record
Tomeka Reid is simply a singular and generational talent.
January 2026 - Issue 285
by Terrell K. Holmes
Tomeka Reid is simply a singular and generational talent. An acclaimed cellist, she is also an edgy, daring composer who has combined her love of different musical genres into a syncretic blend that defines her compositional language. Both classical training and a full embrace of the avant garde have helped define her musical pedigree and have been critical components in developing her instrumental, as well as compositional, fluency. As a soloist, Reid is lyrical, playful and expansive, sometimes using overdubbing or prepared cello for greater textures and colors. In the space of a few measures, whether in her own or others’ ensembles, and regardless of instrumental configuration, she can navigate hard bop, free jazz, the blues or a cello concerto. In each case, they sound natural and unforced, particularly in the cellist’s longstanding, eponymous quartet, arguably her most well-known project: with Mary Halvorson (guitar), Jason Roebke (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums). Growing up around..