Ray Reed Once Upon A Reed CD

About Ray Reed: Ray Reed was born on September 19, 1942 (Virgo) in Wichita, Kansas, and was raised and has lived in Encino, California since 1949. Reed is a graduate of California State University Northridge and it was from there in 1965 that he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. Mr. Reed's instruments played include the Eb alto saxophone, Bb tenor saxophone, Bb Soprano saxophone, Bb clarinet, C flute, G alto flute, and C piccolo. He has been a first-call multi-instrumentalist for over 40 years; and, his performance and recording credits include the Stan Kenton, Louis Bellson, Supersax, Frank Zappa, David Rose, Milton Delugg, Jack Elliot, Don Menza, Gerald Wilson, Shorty Rogers, Marty Paich, Lionel Hampton, L. A. Neophonic, Neal Hefti, Bill Holman, Bob Florence, Alan Copeland, Manhattan Transfer orchestras, and many other wonderful organizations too numerous to list here. Mr. Reed is one of those rare, true artistic geniuses that are able to create art in a number of forms resulting from his deep spirituality. In addition to his consummate artistic musical abilities, Mr. Reed is also an accomplished composer, arranger, author, and computer graphic artist. This album introduces and debuts six new original jazz compositions in the bebop genre that provide a major contribution to the ever- evolving body of real classic jazz - the way it is supposed to be written and performed. Mr. Reed is the author of the recently published book, THE SAXOPHONE REED, The Advanced Art of Adjusting Single Reeds. This highly technical and well-illustrated book is destined to become the definitive reference for all serious professional reed instrument musicians and to become a standard textbook for music schools and universities. This album, Once Upon A Reed, is also the companion CD to the book and serves as an example of the exceptional sound quality that can be achieved with properly adjusted and balanced reeds. This book is available from www.buybooksontheweb.com.What Others Are Saying:This album continues to receive extensive airplay and has received 5-star reviews from numerous jazz critics and publications.Received Dr. Herb Wong's Blue Chip Jazz CD Award in the category Other Top Instrumentals of 2004 (see IAJE Jazz Education Journal, April 2005).The noted Jazz DJ, Chuck Niles wrote: "This modern, streamlined quintet has that same great flavor of the bands from the '50s and '60s with soaring solos and a grooving rhythm section, this is what jazz is all about, man"

Personnel: Ray Reed (alto saxophone); Carl Saunders (trumpet); Tom Garvin (piano); Tom Warrington (bass); Joe La Barbera (drums).
Recorded at Foxfire Recording, Van Nuys, California in June & August 1999.
Personnel: Ray Reed (alto saxophone); Carl Saunders (trumpet); Tom Garvin (piano); Joe La Barbera (drums).
Liner Note Authors: Ray Reed; Bobby Irvine.