Rufus Reid Big Band Plays the Jazz Standard, Now thru 3/1

The Rufus Reid Big Band will play the Jazz Standard in NYC from tonight, February 26 to March 1, 2015.

The Rufus Reid Big Band line-up:

Rufus Reid - bass
Steve Allee - piano
Vic Juris - guitar
Chris Beck - drums
Charenee Wade - voice

John Irabagon - flute, clarinet, soprano
Jason Curry - alto sax
Scott Robinson - tenor sax, clarinet
Tom Christensen - tenor sax, clarinet
Carl Maraghi - baritone sax, bass clarinet

Tanya Darby - lead trumpet
Freddie Hendrix - trumpet
Tim Hagans - trumpet
Scott Wendholt - trumpet

Ryan Keberle - trombone
Marshall Gilkes - trombone
Dave Taylor - bass trombone
Luis Bonilla - trombone

John Clark - french horn
Vincent Chancey - french horn

The inspiration for the epic, five-suite large ensemble work, Quiet Pride, was Reid's fascination with the sculptural work of renown Black American artist Elizabeth Catlett.

"While there is no 'absolute' correspondence, I do feel that she inspired me to mix my own (musical) shapes and lines," explained Reid. The February 11, 2014 release date of Quiet Pride, was Reid's 70th birthday, marking his 50th year in the music industry.

Rufus Reid's iconic bass sound has graced the music of countless jazz giants including Eddie Harris, Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Benny Golson, J.J. Johnson, Jack DeJohnette and Nancy Wilson.

Awards - the BMI Composers Workshop * Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize * two Chamber Music America's New Works grants * The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship for Composition * the Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award * and more.

Internationally sought after as an educator, Reid is the acclaimed author of the "The Evolving Bassist"- the definitive bible for every jazz bassist and the industry standard since 1974. He served as the Director of Jazz Studies and Performance Program for 20 years at William Patterson University.

Upon his retirement, Reid set about fulfilling his dream to compose. This ensemble and original composition was made possible by his winning the prestigious Raymond and Beverly Sackler Composition Competition Prize in 2006 for his original three-movement suite, Quiet Pride. Two new movements were completed and added in 2012, leading to this recording.

The show runs Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 1, 2015. Showtimes: Two 60-minute shows beginning at 7:30pm & 10:00pm, with one additional show at 11:45pm Friday & Saturday. The Jazz Standard is located at 116 East 27th St., NY, NY 10016. For more information, call 212-576-2232 or email: info@jazzstandard.com.