24 July, 2024

Now where is that review? (Introducing the Tomeka Reid Quartet)

A couple months ago I ran across a review of the Tomeka Reid Quartet's eponymous album at what I thought was a progressive rock review site I frequent but, having sought out the review, I find that it's nowhere to be seen there so I don't know where I found out about Tomeka Reid and her quartet. Nonetheless I am glad I did.

She is a jazz, a.k.a. - black classical music, cellist and composer out of Chicago. Since the review eludes me, I won't be able to say what caught my attention and compelled me to check out her music. I just recall there being a link to her Bandcamp page that I followed and found that I really enjoyed her 2015 album done with her quartet.

Since she is from Chicago, I thought there was a chance that she had played here in Madison at the Arts + Literature Laboratory which hosts jazz performances. Not only that, many of the shows there have been recorded by an anonymous taper and put into circulation. So I checked my stash and found that I indeed had a recording of the Tomeka Reid Quartet from the Arts + Literature Laboratory.

Jazz taxonomy is not my specialty so I am unsure into what subgenre she falls into. It's just jazz to me. But there is no brass. Instead guitar and Reid's cello do the melodic legwork.

Here's "Billy Bang’s Bounce" recorded here in Madison at the Arts + Literature Lab on Halloween night of 2019.

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