Search - Ed Reed :: The Song Is You

The finest jazz vocals

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 05/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the second album by jazz balladeer Ed Reed, an amateur performer from the Bay Area who caught the ear of producer Bud Spangler, who helped the 78-year old crooner record his first disc, "Love Stories" in 2007.



Fans who cherish Joe Williams and other rich, emotive singers will appreciate Reed's rich, heartfelt interpretations of standards taken from the songbooks of Rodgers & Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael and others. The backing band adds immaculate, equally expressive accompaniment -- particularly strong are violinist Russell George (who evokes the spirit of the 1930s soft-swing violin masters), pianist Gary Fisher, who is content to provide elegant, unobtrusive backing, and multi-instrumentalist Peck Allmond, who particularly shines on the flute. It's a fine ensemble, and they are completely keyed in on Reed's suave, stately wavelength, providing sweet swing tinged with subtly challenging harmonics.



If you're lucky, you might catch Reed performing live, ideally at his old haunt in Berkeley, California's Cheeseboard Pizza collective, one of the SF Bay Area's best venues to discover new local jazz talent. Reed also has a website, edreedsings, which might give you updates on his comings and goings. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue music reviews)"