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Pianist Freddie Redd is a New York native, born in 1928 and raised in the city. He recalls that there was always a piano in his home growing up, but he only "tinkered" around with it as a kid, never taking it seriously. |
It was while serving in Korea, after a friend played an album featuring Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie that Redd began to be called by music. Blown away by the sounds of the new style, bop, Redd began to devote more and more time to the piano in the recreation room on the base.
When he arrived back in New York, and became active on the burgeoning jazz scene. He played with many of the jazz greats like Art Blakey, Oscar Pettiford, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and Charles Mingus. Mingus would later encourage Redd to move out west, where he settled in San Francisco, recorded for Riverside Records and served as the house pianist at Bop City.
Redd is still most famous for the musical accompaniment he penned for Jack Gelber's infamous avant garde play, The Connection, which featured a host of desperate adicts anxiously awaiting their next fix. The play was an underground hit and eventually received critical acalaim. Redd toured Europe with the play, acting and playing piano with the other onstage actors and musicians. The success of the connection led to three recordings with Blue Note, the first featuring the music from The Connection followed by Shades of Redd and Redd's Blues.
Following the success of The Connection, Redd relocated to Europe. He continued playing in venues there, but returned to L.A. in the mid-'70s where he currently resides. He has continued to release albums and play in local venues, though wider recognition has remained elusive.
Set List for Eddie Reed on Piano Jazz:Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
There'll Never Be Another You (Gordon, Warren)
Perdido (Tizol, Drake, Lengsfelder)
Naima (Coltrane)
Round Midnight (Monk, Hanighen, Williams)
What's New (Burke, Haggart)
Blues (Redd, McPartland)
When he arrived back in New York, and became active on the burgeoning jazz scene. He played with many of the jazz greats like Art Blakey, Oscar Pettiford, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and Charles Mingus. Mingus would later encourage Redd to move out west, where he settled in San Francisco, recorded for Riverside Records and served as the house pianist at Bop City.
Redd is still most famous for the musical accompaniment he penned for Jack Gelber's infamous avant garde play, The Connection, which featured a host of desperate adicts anxiously awaiting their next fix. The play was an underground hit and eventually received critical acalaim. Redd toured Europe with the play, acting and playing piano with the other onstage actors and musicians. The success of the connection led to three recordings with Blue Note, the first featuring the music from The Connection followed by Shades of Redd and Redd's Blues.
Following the success of The Connection, Redd relocated to Europe. He continued playing in venues there, but returned to L.A. in the mid-'70s where he currently resides. He has continued to release albums and play in local venues, though wider recognition has remained elusive.
Set List for Eddie Reed on Piano Jazz: