Motherless Child by Cleo Reed

“...ode to Black music mothers who have come before me. I felt a need to release this track and embrace the true impact my predecessors have had on early American music. When Terri Lyne Carrington (Grammy Award-winning Jazz/R&B musician) suggested I sing this song for NPR Turning the Tables, I was ecstatic because it is a song so dear to my own childhood. I always want to try and push the boundaries of what Traditional music can be, so I decided to work on this track in Ableton with some live looping to create something fresh. I hope listeners can hear how I’ve bridged my knowledge of innovative music technology with this Negro Spiritual to make a version that is indicative of Black Music’s past, present, and future.” - Cleo Reed

Ella Moore performs under the alias “Cleo Reed,” modeled after two ancestors. Born and raised in NYC and Uptown DC, Cleo creates under the musical influence of black underground sounds.

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