Benny Reid (born October 7, 1980) is a jazz saxophonist, music producer, and composer. Reid was born in

Westfield, New Jersey Westfield is a Town (New Jersey), town in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 31,032, an increase of 716 (+2.4% ...

, and his parents exposed him to the music of

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

and

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

. His high school teacher was Andy Fusco, saxophonist with the Buddy Rich band. Reid cited as his biggest saxophone influences

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

, and Paul Desmond. In 2002, he graduated with a Bachelor of Music Jazz at Indiana University School of Music. In 2008 he graduated with a Master's degree from Queens College. Reid also studied with Barry Harris, Eric Alexander, Mike LeDonne, Chris Potter, and Dick Oatts. Reid's first album as leader, ''Findings'', was released in 2007 by

Concord Records Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists ha ...

. His second, ''Escaping Shadows'', includes a cover version of "Always and Forever" by

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...

. Reid released '' Follow the Leader'' o
Fat Beats
','' a reimagined work of the iconic Eric B. & Rakim album of the same name which went on to achieve number one status on two

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

charts. Reid is active composing and performing themes for national commercials and music in film and television. Most recently Reid scored the

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

directed Showtime series ''Supreme Team'' alongside Havoc of

Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo formed in Queens, New York (state), New York in 1990. Consisting of rappers/songwriters/record producers Prodigy (rapper), Prodigy and Havoc (musician), Havoc, they are considered to be among the pr ...

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Benny 1980 births Living people 21st-century American saxophonists 21st-century American male musicians American jazz alto saxophonists American male saxophonists Songwriters from New Jersey Jacobs School of Music alumni People from Westfield, New Jersey Concord Records artists Place of birth missing (living people) American male jazz musicians American male songwriters Queens College, City University of New York alumni