Biography

Reed was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began playing piano at age two, was playing piano in his minister father’s church by age five, and at age seven began formal study at Philadelphia's Settlement Music School. At age 11 his family moved to Los Angeles, and he studied at the R. D. Colburn School of Arts. In May 1986, at Colburn School, Reed met Wynton Marsalis, an encounter that would greatly aid his career. At age 18, during a year of college at California State University, Northridge, Reed briefly toured with Marsalis. He joined Marsalis' septet a year later, and worked with him from 1990 to 1991 (in 1991-1992 he worked with Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard), and again from 1992 to 1995. He later worked with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for two years (1996-1998), and ventured out as a leader of his own group in 1999.

In addition to his work with Marsalis, Reed has worked with jazz musicians such as Irvin Mayfield, Cassandra Wilson, Mary Stallings, Clark Terry, Dianne Reeves, Elvin Jones, Ron Carter, Paula West and Benny Carter. In 2010 he joined the Christian McBride combo "Inside Straight", which produced the album Kinda' Brown.

Reed has also worked as a composer, scoring music for independent and mainstream films, including the comedy Life, featuring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.

Three of his albums have charted on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart: 1995's The Swing and I (peak No. 22); 1998's Pure Imagination (peak No. 8); and 1999's Manhattan Melodies (peak No. 21).

Discography

As leader

• 1990 - Soldier's Hymn (Candid Records, 1990)
• 1993 - It's All Right To Swing (MoJazz)
• 1995 - The Swing and I (MoJazz)
• 1996 - Musicale (Impulse! Records)
• 1998 - Pure Imagination
• 1999 - Manhattan Melodies
• 2000 - Happiness (Nagel-Heyer Records)
• 2000 - E-Bop (Savant)
• 2002 - From My Heart (Savant)
• 2003 - Mercy & Grace (Nagel-Heyer Records)
• 2003 - Cleopatra's Dream (M&I)
• 2004 - Impressive And Romantic (M&I)
• 2005 - Here (MaxJazz)
• 2005 - Blue Trane (M&I)
• 2006 - Blue Monk (M&I)
• 2007 - Stand! (WJ3)
• 2011 - The Dancing Monk (Savant)
• 2011 - Something Beautiful (WJ3 Records)
• 2012 - The Baddest Monk (Savant)
• 2013 - Reflections of a Grateful Heart (WJ3 Records)
• 2014 - The Adventurous Monk (Savant)

As sideman

With Wynton Marsalis

• 1992 - Citi Movement (Columbia)
• 1994 - Blood on the Fields (Columbia)
• 1994 - Standard Time, Volume 4 - Marsalis Plays Monk (Columbia)
• 1994 - Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia)
• 1999 - Mr. Jelly andard Time, Volume Six (Columbia)

With Arkadia Jazz All Stars

• Thank You, Joe! (Arkadia Jazz)

With Christian Mcbride

• 2009 Kind of Brown

[ Source: Wikipedia ]