Eric Reed (musician)
Encyclopedia
Eric Scott Reed, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, is an American jazz
pianist and composer.
His group Black Note
released several albums in the 1990s.
. At age 11 his family moved to Los Angeles, and he studied at the R. D. Colburn School of Arts
. In May 1986 at Colburn School Eric met Wynton Marsalis
, an encounter that would greatly aid his career. At age 18 during a year of college at California State University, Northridge
, Eric briefly toured with Marsalis. He joined Marsalis’ septet a year later, and worked with him from 1990–1991 (from 1991–1992 he worked with Joe Henderson
and Freddie Hubbard
), and again from 1992–1995. He later worked with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for two years (1996–1998), and ventured out as a leader of his own group in 1999.
In addition to his work with Marsalis, Eric has worked with jazz luminaries such as Irvin Mayfield
, Cassandra Wilson
, Mary Stallings
, Clark Terry
, Dianne Reeves
, Elvin Jones
, Ron Carter
, Paula West
and Benny Carter
. In 2010 he joined the Christian McBride
combo "Inside Straight" which produced the album "Kinda' Brown."
Eric has also worked as a composer, scoring music for independent and mainstream films, including the comedy 'Life', featuring Eddie Murphy
and Martin Lawrence
.
Three of his albums have charted on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart: 1995's The Swing and I (peak #22), 1998's Pure Imagination (peak #8), and 1999's Manhattan Melodies (peak #21).
With Arkadia Jazz
All Stars
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, is an American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist and composer.
His group Black Note
Black Note
Black Note were an American jazz ensemble formed in 1991. The band released four albums, for the labels Columbia Records, Impulse! Records, Red Records and World Stage.They won first prize at the John Coltrane Young Artist Competition in 1991.-Members:...
released several albums in the 1990s.
Biography
Eric began playing piano at age two, was playing piano in his minister father’s church by age five, and at age seven began formal study at Philadelphia’s Settlement Music SchoolSettlement Music School (Philadelphia)
Settlement Music School is a community music education organization with branches in and around Philadelphia. Founded in 1908, it is the largest community school of the arts in the United States serving 15,000 students each year, regardless of age, race, or financial means through outreach and at...
. At age 11 his family moved to Los Angeles, and he studied at the R. D. Colburn School of Arts
Colburn School
The Colburn School is a music, dance, and drama school located in downtown Los Angeles adjacent to the Museum of Contemporary Art and across the street from the Walt Disney Concert Hall...
. In May 1986 at Colburn School Eric met Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, an encounter that would greatly aid his career. At age 18 during a year of college at California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
, Eric briefly toured with Marsalis. He joined Marsalis’ septet a year later, and worked with him from 1990–1991 (from 1991–1992 he worked with Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.-Early life:From a very large family with five sisters and nine...
and Freddie Hubbard
Freddie Hubbard
Frederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
), and again from 1992–1995. He later worked with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for two years (1996–1998), and ventured out as a leader of his own group in 1999.
In addition to his work with Marsalis, Eric has worked with jazz luminaries such as Irvin Mayfield
Irvin Mayfield
Irvin Mayfield, Jr. is an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He has been serving as Cultural Ambassador of the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana since 2003. He co-founded and has co-led the Afro-Cuban jazz group Los Hombres Calientes since 1998. Their debut album won Billboard's 2000...
, Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...
, Mary Stallings
Mary Stallings
Mary Stallings is an American jazz vocalist and mother of R&B/soul singer Adriana Evans.-Biography:Mary Stallings was born in San Francisco, one of the eldest of 11 children in the Stallings family; saxophonist Ron Stallings is her first cousin...
, Clark Terry
Clark Terry
Clark Terry is an American swing and bop trumpeter, a pioneer of the fluegelhorn in jazz, educator, NEA Jazz Masters inductee, and recipient of the 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award...
, Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves is an American jazz singer. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.-Early life:Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan to a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke, is a...
, Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
, Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
, Paula West
Paula West
Paula West is an American jazz and cabaret singer known for her rich, powerful contralto voice and for her sensitive interpretations of an extraordinarily eclectic selection of songs ranging far beyond jazz standards and cabaret chestnuts.-Early career:...
and Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
. In 2010 he joined the Christian McBride
Christian McBride
Christian McBride is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors...
combo "Inside Straight" which produced the album "Kinda' Brown."
Eric has also worked as a composer, scoring music for independent and mainstream films, including the comedy 'Life', featuring Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
and Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
.
Three of his albums have charted on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart: 1995's The Swing and I (peak #22), 1998's Pure Imagination (peak #8), and 1999's Manhattan Melodies (peak #21).
As leader
- 1990 - Soldier’s Hymn (Candid RecordsCandid RecordsCandid Records was founded as a subsidiary of Archie Bleyer's Cadence label in New York City in 1960. The jazz writer and civil rights activist, Nat Hentoff, worked as the label's A&R director, aiming to create a representative catalog of the jazz of the day...
, 1990) - 1996 - Musicale (Impulse! RecordsImpulse! RecordsImpulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
) with Nicholas PaytonNicholas PaytonNicholas Payton is a jazz trumpet player from New Orleans, Louisiana.-Biography:The son of bassist and sousaphonist Walter Payton, he took up the trumpet at the age of four and by the time he was nine he was playing in the Young Tuxedo Brass Band alongside his father...
, Wycliffe Gordon, Ron Carter - 1998 - Pure ImaginationPure Imagination (album)Pure Imagination is a 1998 album by jazz pianist Eric Reed released through Impulse! Records. This album contains reinterpretations of traditional pop songs from classic Broadway and Hollywood productions such as Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Porgy and Bess, A Little Night Music among others...
- 1999 - Manhattan Melodies
- 2000 - Happiness (Nagel-Heyer Records)
- 2000 - E-Bop (Savant)
- 2005 - Here (MaxJazz)
- 2007 - Stand!
- 2011 - "The Dancing Monk" (Savant)
As sideman
With Wynton Marsalis- 1992 - Citi Movement (Columbia)
- 1994 - Blood on the Fields; Standard Time, Volume 4 - Marsalis Plays Monk (Columbia)
- 1994 - Live at the Village VanguardVillage VanguardThe Village Vanguard is a jazz club located at in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. At first, it also featured other forms of music such as folk music and beat poetry, but it switched to an all-jazz format in 1957.-History:Over 100 jazz...
(Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
) - 1999 - Mr. Jelly Lord - Standard Time, Volume Six (Columbia)
With Arkadia Jazz
Arkadia Jazz
Arkadia Jazz is an American jazz record label.Postcards Records is a division of Arkadia Jazz "focusing on electro-acoustic recordings by boundry-challengers".Brazilian jazz ensemble Nova Bossa Nova released their one album for the label....
All Stars
- Thank You, Joe!
Further reading
- Official Website
- New York Times review
- Profile at AllAboutJazz.com
- [ Eric Reed] at Allmusic.com