Rufus Reid

For the American plantation owner and politician, see Rufus Reid (planter).
Rufus Reid
Born (1944-02-10) February 10, 1944 (age 80)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
OriginChicago, Illinois
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentBass
Years active1976–present
LabelsMotéma, Sunnyside, Atlantic, Soul Note, Evidence, Concord
Websitewww.rufusreid.com

Rufus Reid (born February 10, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer.[1]

Biography

Reid was raised in Sacramento, California, where he played the trumpet through junior high and high school. Upon graduation from Sacramento High School, he entered the United States Air Force as a trumpet player. During that period, he began to be seriously interested in the double bass.

After fulfilling his duties in the military, Rufus had decided he wanted to pursue a career as a professional bassist. He moved to Seattle, Washington, where he studied bass with James Harnett of the Seattle Symphony. He continued his education at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he studied with Warren Benfield and principal bassist, Joseph Guastefeste, both of the Chicago Symphony. He graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Music Degree as a Performance Major on the Double Bass.

Rufus Reid's major professional career began in Chicago and continues since 1976 in New York City. Playing with hundreds of the world's greatest musicians, he is famously the bassist that saxophonist Dexter Gordon chose when he returned to the states from his decade-long exile in Denmark. His colleagues include Thad Jones, Nancy Wilson, Eddie Harris, and Bob Berg.

Reid directed the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University from 1979 to 1999.[2] After retiring from that position, he spent five years attending the weekly BMI Jazz Composer's Workshop in New York City.[3] Reid has also served on the faculty of the biannual Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass, which moved to Montclair State University in 2024.

Reid has been a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey.[4][1]

Reid's double bass is a Josef Rieger circa 1805.

Discography

As leader

  • Perpetual Stroll (Theresa, 1980)
  • Mirth Song, with Harold Danko (Sunnyside, 1982)
  • Too Marvelous for Words, with Joe Carter (Empathy, 1982)
  • Seven Minds (Sunnyside, 1984)
  • Corridor To The Limits (Sunnyside, 1989)
  • Song for Luis, with Ron Jackson (Mastermix, 1996)
  • Double Bass Delights, with Michael Moore (Double-Time, 1996)
  • Intimacy of the Bass, with Michael Moore (Double-Time, 1999)
  • Alone Together, with Peter Ind (Wave, 2000)
  • The Gait Keeper (Sunnyside, 2003)
  • Live at the Kennedy Center (Motéma, 2007)
  • Out Front (Motéma, 2009)
  • Hues of a Different Blue (Motéma, 2011)
  • Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project (Motéma, 2014)
  • Terrestrial Dance, Rufus Reid Trio with the Sirius Quartet (Newvelle Records, 2017 - Vinyl only)
  • Always in the Moment, with Sullivan Fortner (Newvelle, 2020)
  • Celebration, Rufus Reid Trio with the Sirius Quartet (Sunnyside, 2022)
  • It's the Nights I Like, with Sullivan Fortner (Sunnyside, 2024)

As TanaReid

With Akira Tana

  • Yours and Mine (Concord Jazz, 1991)
  • Passing Thoughts (Concord Jazz, 1992)
  • Blue Motion (Paddle Wheel, 1993)
  • Rumour with Charles Licata Rumour (Charles Publishing, 1995)
  • Looking Forward (Evidence, 1995)
  • Back to Front (Evidence, 1998)

As sideman

With Kenny Barron

With Jane Ira Bloom

With Kenny Burrell

With Donald Byrd

With George Cables

With Art Farmer

With Ricky Ford

With Frank Foster and Frank Wess

With Stan Getz

With Dexter Gordon

With Eddie Harris

With Andrew Hill

With J. J. Johnson

  • Quintergy (1988)
  • Standards (1988)
  • Let's Hang Out (1992)
  • The Brass Orchestra (1996)
  • Heroes (1998)

With Lee Konitz

With Rob Schneiderman

With The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra

With others

Books

  • The Evolving Bassist (1974) (2nd edition: ISBN 978-0-9676015-0-2)

Contributions to education

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ a b Beckerman, Jim. "Ben-Hur flavors his jazz with Middle Eastern spice", The Record (Bergen County), July 17, 2005, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 23, 2006. Accessed November 29, 2017. "Luckily, pianist John Hicks, drummer Leroy Williams, percussionist Steve Kroon and celebrated Teaneck bassist Rufus Reid were happy to go where Ben-Hur led."
  2. ^ Liner notes for The Gait Keeper.
  3. ^ "Rufus Reid - Terrestrial Dance".
  4. ^ "2005 Living Legacy Award Winner: Rufus Reid", Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, backed up by the Internet Archive as of August 20, 2008. Accessed November 29, 2017. "Rufus Reid was born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Sacramento, California and currently resides in Teaneck, New Jersey."
  5. ^ "William Paterson University Senate Minutes". Archived from the original on 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  6. ^ The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Archived 2008-06-11 at the Wayback Machine