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Tomeka Reid - Filippo Monico: The Mouser
by John Sharpe
Cellist Tomeka Reid reveals another aspect of her artistry on The Mouser, on five unfettered excursions in the company of Italian percussionist Filippo Monico. Rather than the supple propulsion and poised angularity of her eponymous quartet (Thirsty Ear, 2015) or the AACM repertoire of Artifacts (482 Music, 2015), Reid concentrates on exploring the full resources of her instrument to respond in the moment to her fellow protagonist. Indeed, this is one of those albums where the focus is more on ...
Continue ReadingBen Monder, Ingrid Laubrock and More
by Maurice Hogue
The Dutch powerhouse quintet Spinifex included a pair of tracks imbued with Sufi traditional music of Kurdish/Iranian origin, and a Qawali traditional from Pakistan on their last recording, Amphibian Ardour; they loved the challenge of fusing those styles into their irregular structures and free jazz so much that they decided to go all in on their newest release, Soufifex. There's always challenging music on releases from the Relative Pitch label, and this episode brings music from new albums by Ingrid ...
Continue ReadingTomeka Reid: Tomeka Reid Quartet
by Patrick Burnette
Even jazz fans who follow recordings coming out of Chicago might still not have heard of cellist Tomeka Reid. Before 2015, when Tomeka Reid Quartet was released, she worked mostly as a sideman (side-person?) with such local luminaries as Nicole Mitchell and Dee Alexander, as well as participating in the AACM. Given that it's her debut as leader, Quartet is a remarkably assured recording, programmed with an excellent sense of pace and point. Performances don't outstay their welcome and fit ...
Continue ReadingTomeka Reid: Tomeka Reid Quartet
by Hrayr Attarian
As an accomplished composer and improviser, cellist Tomeka Reid, is an integral part of Chicago's creative music scene. In addition to being an educator, Reid is a versatile and tireless performer both in her hometown and beyond. Moreover her unique style graces the works of such luminaries as flutist Nicole Mitchell, multireed player Anthony Braxton as well as her own collaborative trio albums. The tense and thrilling Tomeka Reid Quartet is her first release as a leader. The, ...
Continue ReadingJennifer Lee: Quiet Joy
by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
You cannot judge a jazz CD by its cover, particularly in this age of frankly shoddy-looking self-produced sleeves that may well detract attention from good music inside. The cover of Jennifer Lee's Quiet Joy is not amateurish--on the contrary, it is very tastefully assembled. Nevertheless, it could be misleading. The cover depicts the San Francisco Bay Area-based singer and instrumentalist seated in a leafy flower garden, the details spelled out in a sunny font. The packaging promises the musical equivalent ...
Continue ReadingJennifer Lee: Quiet Joy
by Woodrow Wilkins
When a vocalist does a collection of standards, it's important to create something that stands out--something that distinguishes his/her recording from so many others. Jennifer Lee comes through in more ways than one. Quiet Joy showcases Lee's versatility as a pianist, guitarist, arranger, composer and singer. This album is mostly comprised of songs written by Brazilian composers or written by Lee in a Brazilian style; the music would be very different even if she only sang. Lee is a San ...
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