DENVER, NEW YORK – Two masters of improvised music unite for an unforgettable evening at the Old School Baptist Church on Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 PM. MacArthur "Genius" Fellow Tomeka Reid brings her visionary cello work alongside multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich, a leading voice from New York's downtown avant-garde jazz scene since the 1980s. Together they will share an evening rich in improvisation that honors and extends the legacy left by cellist Abdul Wadud and saxophonist/flautist Julius Hemphill, two pioneers whose boundary-breaking collaborations in the 1970s and '80s redefined what improvised music could be. The event will be held June 20 at 7:30 pm at the Old School Baptist Church, located at the intersections of County Rd 36 and Cartwright Rd, Denver, NY.
Cellist and composer Tomeka Reid has emerged as one of the most original, versatile, and curious musicians in contemporary improvised music. Her distinctive melodic sensibility, always rooted in a strong sense of groove, has made her one of the most sought-after collaborators in creative music.
A 2022 MacArthur Fellow and Herb Alpert Award recipient, Reid leads the acclaimed Tomeka Reid Quartet, whose fourth album, "dance! skip! hop!" will be released in 2026 on Out of Your Head Records.
Reid has been a key member of ensembles led by legendary reedists Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell (Art Ensemble of Chicago), and collaborates with a younger generation of visionaries including Nicole Mitchell, Craig Taborn, and Dave Douglas. She also leads the Tomeka Reid Stringtet, an ensemble of seven to sixteen improvising strings that explores her love of rhythm and extended string techniques.
Reid founded the Chicago Jazz String Summit in 2013, now in its 12th year. She holds a doctorate from the University of Illinois and has held teaching positions at Mills College (Darius Milhaud Chair in Composition, 2019-2021) and Dartmouth College (Visiting Roth Scholar, 2023-25).
Marty Ehrlich has been at the nexus of creative music in New York City for thirty-five years. A multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) passionate about improvisation and interpretation, he began his career in St. Louis performing with the Human Arts Ensemble while still in high school. He graduated with honors from New England Conservatory in 1977, studying with George Russell, Jaki Byard, and Gunther Schuller.
As a composer and bandleader, Ehrlich has released twenty-five recordings featuring ensembles ranging from duo to jazz orchestra, including his Emergency Peace Ensemble, Traveler's Tales Group, and Rites Quartet. His 2013 release "A Trumpet in the Morning" features five long-form compositions for large ensemble.
Ehrlich has performed with a who's who of contemporary composers including Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, John Carter, Julius Hemphill, Andrew Hill, Myra Melford, Wadada Leo Smith, and John Zorn, appearing on more than 100 recordings. He has also performed with the Chicago Symphony, BBC Symphony, and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and worked with the Jose Limón and Bill T. Jones dance companies.
His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship in Composition, the Peter Ivers Visiting Artist Residency at Harvard, "Clarinetist of the Year" from the Jazz Journalist Association, and a Distinguished Alumni Award from New England Conservatory. He is currently Associate Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Music at Hampshire College and is presenting a concert program entitled "Julius Hemphill: A Composer Portrait."
Abdul Wadud (1947-2022) and Julius Hemphill (1938-1995) were pioneering figures in creative music whose collaborations demonstrated the revolutionary possibilities of cello and reeds in improvised contexts. Wadud brought the cello into the heart of the jazz avant-garde. Hemphill, a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet and brilliant composer, pushed the boundaries of what reed instruments could express. Their work together in the 1970s and '80s opened doors that artists like Reid and Ehrlich continue to walk through today.
Reid and Ehrlich embody their spirit, honoring the ancestors while blazing new paths. For more information or to purchase tickets please visit roxburyartsgroup.org call 607-326-7908 or email programs@roxburyartsgroup.org.
This performance is sponsored by Beaverdam Builders.. All programs offered by the Roxbury Arts Group are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature, the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation, the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, The Community Foundation for South Central New York, the Tianaderrah Foundation, an anonymous foundation, The Delaware National Bank of Delhi, and by the generosity of our business sponsors and individual supporters.
