Wynton Marsalis Discussion Forum

I saw Eric Reed perform last night. What a performance! He is deeply steeped in the standards and played beautifully. I know he played with Wynton in the 90’s. How long did he play with Wynton?

     

Man! I was so wanting to go to that performance. I’m seriously bummed I missed out.

     

He had a long run with both Wynton & the LCJO and was the last pianist who gigged with Wynton to really leave his mark.  Post Eric, the piano chair seems to be a revolving door—Farid Baron, Richard Johnson, Peter Martin, Eric Lewis & now Dan Nimmer are among the names I’ve seen perform with Wynton and the LCJO in recent years.

With the collapse of instrumental acoustic jazz, many of the guys who came of age during the Young Lions movement have lost their record deals, though I think Reed still has a deal with a U.S. label.

 

Just today I ordered three Reed CDs that he recorded for Japanese(s) labels, Blue Monk, Impressive & Romantic & Cleopatra’s Dream.

     

What “collapse of instrumental acoustic jazz” are you referring to?

     

I was thinking about the major record labels virtually abandoning acoustic jazz.  Most of the major record labels—CBS/Sony. Verve, RCA—had robust rosters of jazz musicians, Eric Reed among them.

Now, only Blue Note among the major labels is the only one still interested in recording acoustic jazz musicians.  CBS/Sony and RCA for all practicle purposes are out of the jazz business, recording new jazz anyway and Verve seems only interested in singers and pop artists.

 

Blue Note—Wynton’s label—is the only one recording acoustic jazz musicians.

     

Eric Reed is playing at Dizzy’s this week.

     

I love Eric Reed’s Playing.  I actually got to jam with him a couple of times and WISh I could record with him.  To me as he has mastered the ability to ...“to know when to” method as a instrumentatlist and comping a singer or solist.