DENVER - When cellist Tomeka Reid and multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich take the stage at the Old School Baptist Church on June 20, they will do more than perform a concert. They will revisit a musical conversation that began decades ago with two pioneers of the avant-garde.
The duo will present an evening of improvised music at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at the historic church at the intersection of County Road 36 and Cartwright Road. Their performance pays tribute to the groundbreaking collaborations of the late cellist Abdul Wadud and saxophonist-composer Julius Hemphill, whose work in the 1970s and 1980s helped redefine the possibilities of jazz improvisation.
Reid, a 2022 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, has emerged as one of the most influential voices in contemporary improvised music. Known for blending lyrical melodies with rhythmic drive, she has built an international reputation as both a composer and collaborator.
She leads the acclaimed Tomeka Reid Quartet, whose fourth album, dance! skip! hop!, is scheduled for release in 2026.
Joining her is Ehrlich, a saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist who has been a central figure in New York City’s creative music scene for more than three decades.
Since launching his career, he has recorded more than two dozen albums as a bandleader and appeared on more than 100 recordings with artists ranging from Anthony Braxton and Andrew Hill to John Zorn and Wadada Leo Smith.
The concert’s inspiration comes from the enduring influence of Wadud and Hemphill. Wadud, who died in 2022, was among the first musicians to place the cello at the center of jazz improvisation. Hemphill, who died in 1995, was a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet and a composer whose work expanded the expressive boundaries of jazz and contemporary music.
Together, the two artists forged a distinctive musical partnership that challenged conventions and opened new possibilities for future generations of improvisers.
Reid and Ehrlich continue that tradition, bringing their own voices to music rooted in exploration, spontaneity and dialogue.
Tickets are $12, $21 and $28. Admission is free for children 16 and younger.
For more information or tickets, visit roxburyartsgroup.org or call 607-326-7908.
