Getting a cello to groove takes some skill – just try it. Tomeka Reid pulls it off like no other though. She’s one of the most uncompromising musicians to come out of Chicago's already mercurial jazz scene in recent years. Her improvisational playing has classical resonance and melodic subtlety, but also always a groove – hence her quartet's new album title dance! skip! hop!. Her long compositions feature scattered melodic references to her family from Wyoming, including her grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-aunt. Her band consists of seasoned musicians, including Mary Halvorson on guitar, with whom she has been playing for a long time. The Tomeka Reid Quartet emphasizes history, but also innovation, emotion and fun. Cello jazz...? Once you’ve heard Tomeka Reid, that concept suddenly doesn’t sound that strange at all.
