Legendary jazz bassist Rufus Reid is bringing his quartet to Kalamazoo tonight for a sold-out 7:30 p.m. performance at the Crawlspace Theater, part of a series funded by the John Stites Jazz Awards and organized by members of the jazz faculty at Western Michigan University. Reid joined Cara Lieurance to talk about his remarkable career and continued evolution as an artist.
Reid's musical journey began unexpectedly. Originally a trumpet player, he taught himself bass while serving in the Air Force band in Montgomery, Alabama. His perspective expanded dramatically during his time in Japan, where he saw Duke Ellington, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and other legends perform live.
Now focused on composition, Reid recently released a duet album with pianist Sullivan Fortner called "It's the Nights I Like." He's also written orchestral and chamber music, crediting the late composer Jim McNeely as his "guru as a composer."
Fries expresses admiration for Reid's ongoing artistic evolution: "What really inspires me is seeing someone who continues to evolve and change...it's just so inspiring."
More information about the concert series is available at kazoojazz.com.
This interview was summarized by Claude.ai and edited by the author.
