Search - Eddie Reed :: While the Music Plays on

A classy crooner in the Mel Torme tradition...

aaron | 07/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eddie Reed is a great clarinet player in the Artie Shaw tradition, he is equally talented in the vocal department singing in the Mel Torme tradition(though he has his own unique style). His clarinet playing which was highlighted on his previous release in 1997 "Hollywood Jump" with his swing orchestra, isn't featured here. On this highly enjoyable jazz oriented session Reed's vocal talents are highlighted backed by his Quintet. This session is wonderful, and Reed really does have his own style, the quintet is playing jazz, however it swings, and so does Reed. With the recent passing on of Sinatra and Torme we need good crooners like Eddie Reed to carry on the tradition of good jazz/traditional pop singing. I have seen Eddie Reed dozens of times in small jazz and swing clubs with both his big band and quintet in California and his fans are mostly under the age of 25, which is surprising that this kind of music is attracting a younger generatuion of listiners(most of them swing dancers). Reed is one of the few jazz singers today still uplifting the classic jazz standards of the 30's & 40's, highlights here are "This Can't Be Love", "It Happened In Monterey" and "Moon Ray", though every song is great and Rees sings smoothly and wondefully throughout. Highly recommended."

Eddie Reed's Quintet

Joe "The Nut Case" Smith | The Looney House | 08/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is eddie Reed's super hot swing combo, that played every Friday night at Long Beach's Madison Supper Club, before Eddie got sentenced to ten years in jail. In anycase at least we have this great cd to listen to, however Eddie doesn;t play one single note on the clarinet on thsi entire CD! He does croon thruoghout. The band is tight, swingin' and red hot! These guys know how to play hot jazzy swing music in the Benny goodman combo style! A great cd, though one wishes Eddie could have played a few clarinet solos... Can't wait till Eddie Reed plays again..."

Eddie Reed is as far from lounge music as Artie Shaw...

a | 06/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just about every new swing band today isn't really swing, but Eddie Reed is the real thing, he plays clarinet in the same class as Artie Shaw, and he has an appealing musicians voice, in the tradition of Jack Teagarden and Louis Armstrong, though not sounding like either. He is the furthest thing fro m"lounge music." Reed has his own vocal style, very black sounding, and his playing is jazz oriented. His band uses 40's-ish arrangements, this band sounds vintage 40's, and Reed is the only band (excluding Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Les Brown, Basie, Ellington, and all of the other big bands still performing without their leaders) who is preserving the real swing era music. This CD is recommended, although one can buy the original artists versions of all these songs, the main reason to buy this Cd is Reed's smokey voice, and his swingin' jazzy arrangements, also go see Eddie Reed's big band next time they play through your town, take a partner and swing."