Rufus Reid


Rufus Reid is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer.

Biography

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 Denmark. His colleagues include Thad Jones, Nancy Wilson, Eddie Harris, and Bob Berg.
Reid has been a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey.

Discography

As leader

With Kenny Barron
With Roni Ben-Hur
With Jane Ira Bloom
With Kenny Burrell
With Donald Byrd
With George Cables
With Jack DeJohnette
With Art Farmer
With Dan Faulk
  • Focusing In
With Ricky Ford
  • Tenor for the Times
  • Shorter Ideas
With Frank Foster and Frank Wess
  • Two for the Blues
  • Frankly Speaking
With Stan Getz
  • Anniversary!
  • Serenity
With Benny Golson
  • Benny Golson Quartet
With Dexter Gordon
With Barry Harris
  • For the Moment
With Eddie Harris
  • Instant Death
  • Eddie Harris Sings the Blues
  • Excursions
  • Is It In
  • I Need Some Money
  • Bad Luck Is All I Have
With Jimmy Heath
  • New Picture
With Andrew Hill
  • Shades
  • Eternal Spirit
With Bobby Hutcherson
  • Cruisin' the 'Bird
With the Jazztet
  • Nostalgia
With J. J. Johnson
  • Quintergy
  • Standards
  • Let's Hang Out
  • The Brass Orchestra
  • Heroes
With Etta Jones
  • My Mother's Eyes
With Frank Kimbrough
With Lee Konitz
With Kirk Lightsey
With Maulawi
With Billy Mitchell
;With Tete Montoliu
With Ralph Moore
With Joe Newman and Joe Wilder
With Claudio Roditi
With Michel Sardaby
With Jack Sheldon
With John Stubblefield
With The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra
With Jon Irabagon
With Geoff Keezer