On Tuesday, September 19, 2017, saxophonist Nick Mazzarella and cellist Tomeka Reid perform at Arts + Literature Laboratory in support of their recent release Signaling, a collection of improvised duets inspired by avant-garde music of the 1970s. The idea to record as a duo arose when the two discovered a mutual admiration for the music of saxophonist Julius Hemphill and cellist Abdul Wadud. Using this touchstone as a starting point, Mazzarella and Reid play with a "striking amount of originality" (Derek Taylor, Dusted Magazine), adapting the duo setting as a vehicle for their own unique voices. Tickets $15 in advance online at mazzarellareid.bpt.me or $18 at the door. Online sales end 1 hour before the show. Doors open at 7:30pm. Show starts at 8pm.
Critical praise for Signaling:
"On this captivating, fully-improvised duo recording by alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella and cellist Tomeka Reid, we find a superlative example of two leading-edge musicians who continue to draw vital inspiration from their forbears." (Troy Dostert, All About Jazz)
"Completely sublime duets between alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella and cellist Tomeka Reid – working here together at a level that seems to both bring a whole new sense of energy to duo improvisation, and also put the record at the level of some of the most exciting work of the 70s!" (Dusty Groove )