New York Times : Review

NY Times 

At Firehouse12 in New Haven, Conn., I recently heard an evening set led by the cellist and composer Tomeka Reid. A star in progressive jazz circles, she has also written music for exciting chamber music musicians like Johnny Gandelsman.

On this night, Reid led an improvising septet in what she called “A Tribute to Ellington.” The compositions (all by her) were co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center and the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin. Reid’s music could be aggressive in its extended technique, but it also featured plenty of delightful melodic interplay. An unofficial string trio within the ensemble — including the bassist Silvia Bolognesi, the violist Paul Barrels and Reid — gave elegant voice to the composer’s talent for designing polyphony within steady, collective groove.

From the stage, Reid said that this program of septet music would be recorded at the venue (which doubles as a recording studio) the next day for a future release. Until that comes out, those curious to explore Reid’s style should investigate her past albums for improvising groups, as well as pieces for classical players, like “Prospective Dwellers,” memorably recorded by the Spektral Quartet on YouTube. Following Ellington’s example, Reid is pursuing music that can exist comfortably “beyond category.”