"Some bassists stand out for the strength of their walking lines, their fluent technique or their expertise with the bow, or the musicality of their solo conception. Bassist/composer Rufus Reid has all of these covered, and much more. As a bassist, he is the total package. The same can easily be said for his skills as a composer and a bandleader." - Grammy winning jazz journalist Bob Blumenthal. He has achieved "living legend status" as a man for all genres, and not just for his musical prowess, but because he lights up a stage, a classroom, everyone he meets, and most importantly, audiences a...
"Some bassists stand out for the strength of their walking lines, their fluent technique or their expertise with the bow, or the musicality of their solo conception. Bassist/composer Rufus Reid has all of these covered, and much more. As a bassist, he is the total package. The same can easily be said for his skills as a composer and a bandleader." - Grammy winning jazz journalist Bob Blumenthal. He has achieved "living legend status" as a man for all genres, and not just for his musical prowess, but because he lights up a stage, a classroom, everyone he meets, and most importantly, audiences around the globe. Not content to simply rest on these laurels, Reid chose to turn his focus towards the goal of excelling as a composer in formats ranging from solo bass to full orchestral scores. In a few short years, this "young" composer has gained major recognition and has landed numerous grants and awards.
His new recording on Motema Music, Out Front, is further confirmation that there is nothing typical about Rufus Reid, his music or his bands. The title of the recording, and the special camaraderie and chemistry the bassist shares with pianist Steve Allee (Buddy Rich, John Clayton, The Randy Brecker Quartet, David "Fathead" Newman) and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca (Trio Da Paz, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, John Scofi eld, Lee Konitz, Joe Henderson, Nancy Wilson, Slide Hampton, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, amongst many others), is explained here by Reid: Out Front suggests several connotations. "In addition to being out front as the leader, my playing in this setting is somewhat atypical in that this music stretches far beyond the bebop boundaries for which I have received recognition in the past. The interaction with these uniquely talented gentlemen and the outcome of this music is a direct result of my dedication to my own continuing compositional and harmonic growth and adventurous spirit. It is fueled by my desire to continue to stretch and grow artistically with every original piece I conceive and with every recording I make." With Out Front, Reid, Allee and Da Fonseca have succeeded in a sonic experience that is likely to leave you with the desire to make repeated visits until the music reveals all the little things that combine to make it so very special.
