Listeners who enjoy fine art will totally embrace this special production by Jim Luce for Motema Music.   "Quiet Pride", a series of 5 suites composed by Rufus Reid will be available in stores from Motema Music on February 10th.  But public radio listeners can hear it now.

The Special captures in real-time this new era in Reid's career; the debut of his originally composed music, inspired by the sculpture work of the late African-American sculptress, civil rights, and women's rights activist Elizabeth Catlett. 

 Playing standards and improvising on them is something that we rely on our jazz performers to delight us with.  Musicians "woodshed" for years to find their own unique sound, and they infuse that sound into the standards, totally transforming them.  But there's a yearning in some musicians to create their own music.  Rufus Reid has answered that call. 

Reid has allowed his creativity to stretch him into a new instrument of expression. Composing large-form symphonic jazz is breathing in rarified air. To allow pieces of sculpture to speak to you in order to create those symphonic pieces is just new territory.

In this Radio Special, Reid shares with us some of his inner processing in the creation of "Quite Pride", between entire tracks of four movements, performed by a 20-piece orchestra and accompanied by voice.

We encourage stations to consider this fine art radio special for their Black History Month programming.