 Eric Reed
Eric Reed attended Cal State Northridge for one year during which he toured briefly with Wynton Marsalis at age 18. A year later, Eric joined Marsalis’ Septet (1990-91; 1992-95). He spent two years with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (1996-98), making countless recordings and TV appearances with them. Reed also worked in the bands of Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson (1991-92). Eric continues to perform and record with an assorted multitude of masters like Elvin Jones, Benny Carter, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Cassandra Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Dianne Reeves and a host of other diverse performers including Natalie Cole, Patti Labelle, Oleta Adams, Edwin Hawkins, Jessye Norman and Quincy Jones.
Born in Philadelphia, PA. Eric Reed started playing piano at age two, beginning formal instruction at age five, starting at Philadelphia’s Settlement Music School at age seven. However, he remained primarily self-taught, often confounding his instructors by not learning the written music, but listening to them play it first and memorizing musical pieces note-for-note: "I wasn’t interested in practicing Bach; I was too busy digging Horace Silver!" By age eleven, his family moved to the greater Los Angeles area and he continued his formal instruction at the R.D. Colburn School of Arts where his theory teacher Jeff Lavner, finally realizing that Eric was destined for swinging, turned him onto recordings of great Jazz pianists: "My neighborhood library had all kinds of hip Jazz albums and I was in there every day checking them out. Everything was there: Ahmad Jamal, Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner -- it was incredible! By the time I was thirteen, I didn’t realize it but, I had digested all of the standard Jazz recordings that working musicians were expected to know." Since 1995, Eric has been touring with his own ensembles, making serious waves in the Jazz community. The legendary Ahmad Jamal has called Eric, "one of my very favorite pianists." Eric’s recording Pure Imagination, shot to #1 on the Gavin chart and stayed there for seven weeks, earning him the 1999 Gavin Artist of the Year award. His next recording, Manhattan Melodies was also #1 on Gavin for several weeks. A masterful composer/arranger Reed has scored music for independent films as well as mainstream, including the comedy "Life," featuring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.
In addition to leading a quintet that features some of the finest young talent on the scene, Eric presently expands his musical horizons in the area of education, teaching in various situations worldwide. Away from the piano, Eric serves as the artistic director of a concert series called Jazz Composer Portraits at Columbia University’s Miller Theater. Bio adapted from www.ericreed.net. Smoke Jazz & Supper Club-Lounge is located at 2751 Broadway between 105th and 106th Streets. For more information visit www.smokejazz.com or call (212) 864-6662.
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New York 
Saturday, 20 March 2010
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