Craig Taborn / Tomeka Reid: Uncommon Prayers Duo

Pianist Craig Taborn and cellist Tomeka Reid come together for an evening of avant-garde improvisation in this Stave Sessions concert. Craig Taborn has built a varied career as a leader, a soloist, and a sideman in dozens of bands and has lent his brilliance as an improvisor in any number of musical contexts, from straight-ahead jazz to electro-acoustic sound collage. From units of melody and texture, Taborn builds intricate, fascinating compositions; or, as NPR's jazz critic Kevin Whitehead said, "making spontaneous pieces so clear and shapely, they can sound worked out in advance."

Cellist, composer, and improviser Tomeka Reid, a 2022 MacArthur "Genius" Grantee, a frequent trio partner of Taborn, uses her instrument to stand in for many parts of the typical jazz ensemble. She says, "what I find really interesting about the cello is that it can serve so many roles within a jazz context. So, it can be the horn player, it can comp [complement/accompany], and it can also play bassline." Reid uses extended techniques to create even more variety in tone and rhythm in an already versatile instrument. From using the body of the instrument as a percussion instrument, to changing the string sounds with clips and pencils, Reid is endlessly imaginative in her approach to playing and improvisation. 

Don't miss two brilliant improvisers when they come together for this fascinating Stave Sessions concert!

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Stave Sessions is sponsored by
Susan & Michael Thonis.

Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

This performance is made possible in part by support from Celebrity Series' LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Innovation Funds.