Rufus Reid
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Rufus Reid is not only a great bassist, but also an outstanding teacher. I am impreesed by how rapidly he can assess one's ability and need and in one lesson give a student enough meat to work on for the next year. His book "The Evolving Bassist" is a must for the library of every serious bassist.
When it comes to his playing, Rufus knows how to choose the notes that sound good. His compositions make for great listening. Wayne Shorter has been credeited with saying "I always think of music as interior decoration. So, if you have all kinds of music, you are fully decorated!" Appying this concept to Rufus Reid, from classical to jazz, he is well decorated.
Wayne Grosvenor
Rufus Reid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rufus Reid (born February 10, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer. He lives in Teaneck, New Jersey.[1] Personal history Rufus 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 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 began serious study 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 France. His colleagues include Thad Jones, Nancy Wilson, Eddie Harris and Bob Berg.
Contributions to Education
- Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops
- Stanford Jazz Workshop
- The Lake Placid Institute
- Professor Emeritus,[2] William Paterson University, Jazz Studies and Performance program (1979–1999)
- The "Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists" Annual Bass Conference
- The Sligo Jazz Project
- Bass Coalition Summer Workshop
Recognition/Awards
- 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship, Creative Arts / Music Composition category[3]
- Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Award ("Skies Over Emilia")
- 2006 Fellowship, from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
- The 2005 Mellon Jazz 2005 Living Legacy Award, from The MidAtlantic Arts Foundation
- The Distinguished Achievement Award, 2001, The International Society of Bassists
- Outstanding Educator of 1999, The New Jersey Chapter of the IAJE
- Humanitarian Award, 1997, The International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE)
- 1998 Jazz Educator Achievement Award, BASS PLAYER magazine
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Composition Competition 2006 Award Winner, administered by the University of Connecticut
- 2006 ASCAP/IAJE Billy Strayhorn Commission Recipient
References
- ^ Beckerman, Jim. "Ben-Hur flavors his jazz with Middle Eastern spice", The Record (Bergen County), July 17, 2005. Accessed August 7, 2007. "Luckily, pianist John Hicks, drummer Leroy Williams, percussionist Steve Kroon and celebrated Teaneck bassist Rufus Reid were happy to go where Ben-Hur led."
- ^ William Paterson University Senate Minutes
- ^ The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
