Born in Philadelphia, PA. on June 21, 1970, Eric grew up playing Gospel music in his father’s storefront Baptist church, starting at the age of five. "My father was a minister but he also used to sing with a Gospel group in Philly called the Bay State Singers. He was my earliest musical influence. I also was hit heavily by Edwin Hawkins' music of the 1970s. Gospel music remains a large part of my playing today." Afterwards, young Reed was bitten by the Jazz bug after hearing recordings of Art Blakey, Ramsey Lewis and Dave Brubeck.

Hot Summer Jazz Festival Profile

Lew Tabackin is a player who has built upon the foundation of jazz tradition, standing on the shoulders of giants like Coltrane, Cohn and Rollins. He developed his own unique voice and added it to that of the other great innovators who have gone before him. A master of both the tenor saxophone and the flute, Tabackin makes beautifully intricate and unabashedly bold music.

As part of the Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival, you can catch Mr. Tabackin at the Artists Quarter on the 18th and 19th and in a free outdoor concert at Mears park in Saint Paul at 6:30 PM (right after Pat Mallinger's performance at 5:00).

Lew Tabackin's interest in music began in his birthplace, Philadelphia, where he first studied flute and then tenor saxophone in high school. He majored in flute at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music (B.M. 1962) and studied privately with composer Vincent Persichetti.

Skaff only began learning guitar in his mid-teens, teaching himself to play classic rock, R&B, and, most significantly, the blues. Opportunities to hear jazz may have been limited in Wichita, Kansas where he grew up, but organ combos, like those led by Jack McDuff and Lou Donaldson, passed through, making a strong impression on the young guitarist. Jay McShann, who spent a six-month stint playing an unlikely roadside bar, became another point of reference- especially after Skaff innocently realized the bandleader was more than just some colorful local veteran. Perhaps Skaff's most formative experience, however, came with a borrowed copy of George Benson's It's Uptown. Overwhelmed by the creative possibilities of jazz guitar, Skaff began listening intensively, transcribing the work of other artists, teaching himself music theory, and perfecting his now seemingly effortless technique.