The
inspiration for the epic, large ensemble work, Quiet Pride was Reid’s
fascination with the sculptural work of Elizabeth Catlett, the great African
American artist and civil rights activist, whose works can be found in the
collections of the White House, the Museum of Modern Art, and of private
collectors such as Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, and jazz impresario George Wein.
“You know how you can spend hours in a gallery, just letting the images sink
in? I found myself responding to the shapes and lines in Elizabeth’s work.
While there is no ‘absolute’ correspondence, I do feel that she inspired me to
mix my own shapes and lines,” explained Reid, whose suite movements are
inspired by Catlett’s sculptures Glory, Mother & Child, Recognition,
Singing Head, and Stargazer, each of which are pictured in the detailed CD
booklet.
Among
the 20 stellar players in Reid’s handpicked ensemble are Herlin Riley (drums),
Steve Allee (piano), and Vic Juris (guitar), Tim Hagans, Ingrid Jenson, Freddie
Hendrix, and Tanya Darby, (trumpets); Steve Wilson, Erica von Kleist, Tom
Christensen, Carl Maraghi, and Scott Robinson, (reeds), Dave Taylor, Ryan
Keberle, Michael Dease, and Jason Jackson, (trombones), and John Clark and
Vincent Chancey (French horns). Reid chose acclaimed vocalist Charenee Wade to
bring the challenging vocal lines of his suite to life. Speaking of their
collaboration, Wade noted, “Rufus Reid is like the musical uncle that I always
wanted.”
Interestingly,
the February 11, 2014 release date of Quiet Pride coincides with Reid’s 70th
birthday (on February 10), and marks his 50th year in the music industry.
As a
bassist, Rufus Reid’s signature sound has graced the music of countless jazz
giants including Eddie Harris, Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, Stan Getz, Dexter
Gordon, Benny Golson, J.J. Johnson, Jack DeJohnette, and Nancy Wilson. As an
educator he is sought after internationally and is the author of the acclaimed
instructional book and DVD, “The Evolving Bassist”– the definitive bible for
every jazz bassist and the industry standard since 1974. He also served for
twenty years as the Director of Jazz Studies and Performance Program at William
Patterson University.
Upon
retiring from William Patterson, Reid set about fulfilling his desire to
compose. In short order, he began winning awards and commissions: the BMI
Composers Workshop, Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, two Chamber Music
America’s New Works grants, The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Fellowship for Composition, and the Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award, to name
but a few. His dream to compose for the large ensemble was made possible by his
winning the prestigious Raymond and Beverly Sackler Composition Competition
Prize in 2006 for his original four-movement suite, Quiet Pride. A fifth
movement was completed and added in 2012, leading to this recording.
Of the
recording process (which is nicely documented on the enhanced CD), Rufus
explains, “It’s pretty amazing to have something in my subconscious of how I
want a piece to sound. Then for really creative individuals to come in and
render it and take it completely to another place that I couldn’t have even
imagined — it’s thrilling. There were times I actually had goose bumps and said
‘Damn, I really wrote this!’”
Drummer/composer,
Dennis Mackrel (Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra), conducts the
orchestra. Akira Tana, Reid’s co-producer and longtime colleague, comments, “I
think we’re hearing the fruits of his life in music because you hear all the
influences of all the different groups he’s played with and it’s coming out in
his writing. It’s something very special.”
Noted
jazz percussionist Francisco Mora-Catlett (Sun Ra, Max Roach’s M’Boom)
initially connected his mother with Reid. Elizabeth was genuinely surprised to
hear such an ambitious musical project inspired by her sculptures. She was
delighted to learn of and endorse the multi-disciplinary program for
universities exploring “how art inspires art.” (Reid coordinates special
programs in which multiple university departments (art, women’s studies, black
studies, and music,) collaborate to bring in gallery showings of Elizabeth
Catlett’s sculptures and university orchestra performances of Reid’s Quiet
Pride, as conducted by Rufus Reid. Such programs have happened so far at The
University of Connecticut at Storrs, CT, in Baton Rouge at the Shaw Center for
the Arts with the Louisiana State University Jazz Ensemble and at Bucknell
University.
“My
purpose in recording Quiet Pride – The Elizabeth Catlett Project was to create
a definitive, professional recording, for people who love art and who love
music, explains Rufus. It will also be an excellent educational tool as I
continue my residencies and performances at colleges and universities
internationally. Quiet Pride has enriched my life about what I do and why I do
it.”
Grammy-winning
journalist Bob Blumenthal, who provides the insightful liner notes, comments
that this music comes from “a life lived at the highest level of creativity and
an undimmed willingness to face and meet new challenges.”
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