Jazz Articles about Eric Reed

Eric Reed: Here

by Ken Dryden
August 7, 2006

Throughout this studio session, Eric Reed shows why many critics consider him to be one of the top pianists of his generation. Well-accompanied by bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Willie Jones III, Reed kicks off with a lively interpretation of Benny Golson's jazz standard “Stablemates, on which the shadings and pulse of the rhythm section complement the leader's flights on the keyboard.

John Coltrane's “26-2 is not one of the late saxophonist's better known works, but Reed's elaborate one-handed run ...

Eric Reed: Here

by Robert R. Calder
July 16, 2006

Eric Reed's gifts have never been in doubt, whether playing Scott Joplin's “Maple Leaf Rag" on a Wynton Marsalis educational video--or very original swing piano, deliberately jazzless gospel or conteporary jazz in duet with the neglected Johnny O'Neal on the ad lib concert released as Rockin' the Spirit (Chesky, 2005). He was a standout on Joe Chambers' Urban Grooves (441 Records, 2003), as when playing Jelly Roll Morton and other music with Marsalis. Reed can play amazingly ...

Eric Reed: Here

by C. Michael Bailey
May 3, 2006

Pianist Eric Reed is one of the most articulate and intelligent ambassadors of jazz performing today. His 21st Century recordings Happiness, From My Heart, Mercy and Grace, E-Bop, and Merry Magic show Reed fully formed and creatively fluid. Add to these thoughts bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Willie Jones III, and the jazz listenership receives the grace of perfectly conceived and delivered jazz piano trio music.

Tasteful, thoughtful and cognizant, Eric Reed is a complete musical package with ...

Eric Reed: Merry Magic

by Celeste Sunderland
December 2, 2003

The best kinds of holiday albums are the ones that offer a diverse selection of songs while holding true to the theme. Pianist Eric Reed's new Christmas disc Merry Magic combines hard-swinging bebop with slow, graceful ballads, a little Latin spice, and evangelical organ. It culls up all the emotions of the season, from childlike anticipation to family-time nostalgia. Play this disc at your holiday party if you're going for the martini and mistletoe deal you see ...

Eric Reed: E-Bop

by Joel Roberts
November 12, 2003

Eric Reed, who spent a week at the Village Vanguard in October with his septet, says the compositions on his new album are a reflection not just of his musical tastes but of what's currently going on in his life. If that's the case, the Philadelphia-born pianist must be living a very good life indeed. The songs and playing on E-Bop exude a relaxed, upbeat air of optimism that suggest a man who's comfortable in his own skin and an ...

Eric Reed: Happiness

by C. Michael Bailey
October 1, 2001

When is a big band not a big band? Perhaps the more important question is “What difference does it make?" Happiness employs an octet or nonette (depending on the cut) that sounds like a big band. It is these intermediate sized combos that have always intrigued me with their graceful passage form small combo to big band back to small combo again. This effect has been evident in the recordings of Marcus Roberts, Wes Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, and Rodney Whitaker. ...

Eric Reed: Happiness

by Glenn Astarita
August 1, 2001

Pianist Eric Reed soars to towering heights with this uplifting and altogether superior new release, featuring fellow “Wynton Marsalis Group” constituents; trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, alto saxophonist Wessell Anderson and other jazz sharpshooters, as this eleven-piece outfit delivers the goods in rather explosive fashion. No doubt, Reed possesses enviable chops, yet his concoction of cleverly organized motifs and complexly swinging arrangements offer a trickle of fresh air to a sometimes languid or floundering, modern-day post-Bop scene. With, “Three Dances: Island Grind ...