Alphonso Son "Dizzy" Reece (born 5 January 1931) is a

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

n-born

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpeter. Reece emerged within London's burgeoning bebop jazz scene during the 1950s and went on to become a leading proponent of

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

jazz in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He later experimented with other jazz sub-genres in the late 1960s and 1970s, and continues to remain active in performance and composition. Reece's contribution to the jazz idiom is considered influential and he is often identified as one of jazz's great trumpet players.

Biography

Reece was born on 5 January 1931 in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

, the son of a silent film pianist. He attended the

Alpha Boys School Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys' School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica, still ru ...

, known for its musical alumni, studying alongside Joe Harriot and Wilton 'Bogey' Gaynair. Reece began learning trumpet when he was 14 years old and soon became a full-time musician at the age of 16. He moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 1948 as part of the

Windrush Generation British African-Caribbean people or British Afro-Caribbean people are an ethnic group in the United Kingdom. They are British citizens or residents of recent Caribbean heritage who further trace much of their ancestry to West and Central Africa. ...

, arriving on board the Empire Windrush on June 22 with hundreds of his Caribbean compatriots. Initially failing to establish himself in London, Reece spent the early 1950s working in

mainland Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by so ...

, notably

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. During this time he performed tirelessly, often with expatriate US jazz musicians, including

Don Byas Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also l ...

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), known professionally as Kenny Clarke and nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride ...

, Frank Foster and

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Early life, family and education Thad Jones was born i ...

. By 1954 Reece had returned to London reinvigorated and began cultivating a stellar jazz reputation, performing regularly at The Flamingo Club, London's leading bebop venue. Reece's talents were noticed by the club compere, Tony Hall, who was also responsible for A&R at

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

. In 1955 Hall assumed responsibility for overseeing the revival of Decca's subsidiary,

Tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

, quickly recording, producing, and issuing sessions by Reece, as well as many of his London contemporaries, such as

Tubby Hayes Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was a British jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his virtuosic musicianship on tenor saxophone and for performing in jazz groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and trump ...

and

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

. During this time Reece led several jazz recording sessions, including ''A New Star'' and ''Progress Report'', and featured as a sideman on numerous other sessions. He also began exploring scoring for motion picture soundtracks, notably the

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in west London, England. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on th ...

crime film, ''Nowhere to Go''. In 1958 Hall recorded what became Reece's first

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

album, secured through arrangement with Alfred Lion and Hall's successful licensing of Reece's session. This session was later issued by Blue Note in 1959 as '' Blues in Trinity'' and featured Reece and

alongside

Art Taylor Arthur S. Taylor Jr. (April 6, 1929 – February 6, 1995) was an American jazz drummer, who "helped define the sound of modern jazz drumming".Watrous, Peter (February 7, 1995)"Art Taylor, 65, Jazz Drummer Who Inspired Young Musicians" ''The Ne ...

and

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, composer and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few h ...

. The appearance of Reece, as well as Hayes, on a Blue Note recording raised the profile of the British jazz scene, and garnered musical respect for Reece from jazz musicians such as

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 ...

and

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

. On the basis of ''Blues in Trinity'' both Reece and Tubby Hayes were "short-listed" by

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

for possible membership of the

Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

. Although both declined, Reece briefly appeared with the Jazz Messengers for live performances and made a guest appearance on the '' Africaine'' sessions, assisting with percussion. Hall subsequently orchestrated Reece's signing to Blue Note, whereupon Reece settled in

and recorded several sessions, including '' Star Bright'', '' Comin' On!'', and '' Soundin' Off''. Reece's appearances at the leading New York jazz clubs of the time such as The Village Vanguard, Birdland, and Eddie Condon's, as well as his association with Blue Note, brought him into close musical contact with many of the leading musicians of the era. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Reece therefore featured as a sideman on recordings by

Duke Jordan Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan (April 1, 1922 – August 8, 2006) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Jordan was born in New York and raised in Brooklyn where he attended Boys High School. An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regul ...

Hank Mobley Henry Mobley (July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986) was an American tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to describe his tone, that was neithe ...

, Andrew Hill,

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American Jazz drumming, jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio stat ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

, and

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player and composer. Originally from Chicago, Jordan later moved to New York City, where he recorded extensively in addition to touring across ...

among others. Upon departing the Blue Note label, Reece next recorded ''

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

'' for the New Jazz Records imprint. ''Asia Minor'' is sometimes considered one of Reece's finest and was received positively in contemporaneous reviews. But it prompted an era of relative quiet from Reece, and it is often felt that Reece's relocation to New York did not have the desired positive effect on his career progression. Though Reece continued to perform throughout the 1960s and 1970s, his recorded appearances were sporadic, leading ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' to describe him as 'the elusive trumpeter'. Reece did not produce another solo record in the 1960s, instead concentrating on his sideman dates and his composing, the latter of which included the creation of the ''Contemporary Jazz Drum Suite'' (1966), a piece written entirely for percussion. His relative obscurity was something Reece himself has noted in interviews, citing local prejudice and discrimination as a particular factor in his low profile. In 2004 he told ''

Jazz Times ''JazzTimes'' was an American print magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade ...

'' that many in New York disapproved of his

interracial marriage Interracial marriage is a marriage involving spouses who belong to different "Race (classification of human beings), races" or Ethnic group#Ethnicity and race, racialized ethnicities. In the past, such marriages were outlawed in the United Sta ...

, a factor which precipitated his marriage breakdown, whereupon his wife returned to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

with their children. Reece's

West Indian A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), the term ''West Indian'' in 1597 described the indigenous inhabitants of the West In ...

heritage was also a source of discrimination and resentment from within New York's jazz fraternity. Such prejudice arose from the complex inter-cultural relationships arising between West Indians and native black Americans, but has been described by Reece and others, such as

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He wo ...

, as hypocritical since many supposed 'local' musicians came from West Indian households and were first generation Americans. Said Reece: Reece was not entirely inactive in pursuing solo projects during this period and in 1968 demonstrated early experimentation with spiritual jazz with, ''Nirvana - The Zen of the Jazz Trumpet''. However, this session went unreleased until 2006 and his principal playing was instead on sideman dates for the likes of

, and Andrew Hill. Reece was busier with his solo work in the 1970s, during which time recorded four albums, including ''

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...

'', which featured his best friend, saxophonist

. Prior to this Reece issued '' From In to Out'', a live recording demonstrating his experimentation with

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

and

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

and featuring John Gilmore,

, and French musicians Siegfried Kessler and Patrice Caratini. Reece continued his experimental themes in 1977 with two sessions from 1972 and 1973, both which were combined and released as ''Possession, Exorcism, Peace'', notable for featuring an interpretation of ''

Tubular Bells Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the Percussion instrument, percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillons, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the soun ...

''. From the 1980s onward Reece concentrated on live performance, making few recorded studio appearances. Archived recordings of his live performances during this era have been curated and released. In a 2024 interview, Reece reaffirmed his dedication to composing, performing several of his recent compositions during interview. Many of these compositions have been recorded, though most currently remain unreleased. Reece has also engaged in autobiographical writing and curates numerous live recordings arising from the NYC Jazz Festival, an event he helped to establish in 1979. A prolific writer, Reece has penned numerous articles about jazz music, including a substantial biographical history of jazz saxophonists.

Influence

Reece's contribution to the jazz idiom is considered influential and he is often identified as one of jazz's great trumpet players. Reece was recipient of the 'Award of Recognition' from Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music) in 2023.

Discography

As leader

* ''Top Trumpets - Dizzy Blows Bird / Deuchar Plays Deuchar'' (

, 1956) with Jimmy Deuchar * ''Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace'' (

Savoy Records Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. In September 2017, Savoy was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music. ...

, 1957) with

* ''A New Star'' (Tempo, 1955–56) with Phil Seamen * ''Progress Report'' (Tempo, 1956–58) with

* '' Blues in Trinity'' (

, 1959) * '' Star Bright'' (Blue Note, 1960) * '' Comin' On!'' (Blue Note, 1960

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Media Books * 999 (anthology), ''99 ...

* '' Soundin' Off'' (Blue Note, 1960) * ''

'' ( New Jazz, 1962) * '' Nirvana: The Zen of the Jazz Trumpet'' ( Jazz Vision 1968

006 Alec Trevelyan is a fictional character who is the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film ''GoldenEye,'' portrayed by actor Sean Bean. Bean's likeness was also used as the model for Alec Trevelyan in the 1997 video game '' GoldenEye 007' ...

* '' From In to Out'' - ( Futura, 1970) * '' Possession, Exorcism, Peace'' ( Honey Dew, 1974) * ''

'' (

Bee Hive A beehive is an enclosed structure which houses honey bees, subgenus '' Apis.'' Honey bees live in the beehive, raising their young and producing honey as part of their seasonal cycle. Though the word ''beehive'' is used to describe the nest of ...

, 1978) * '' Blowin' Away'' ( Interplay, 1978) with Ted Curson * ''Dealing Vol. I'' (JazzVision Records, 1981

014 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 The Argus As 014 (designated 109-014 by the Ministry of Aviation (Germany), RLM) was a pulsejet engine used on the German V-1 flying bomb of World War II, and the first model of pulsejet engine placed in mass pr ...

* ''Dealing Vol. II'' (JazzVision Records, 1982

Compilations

* ''Mosaic Select: Dizzy Reece'' (MS-011) - compiles ''Blues in Trinity'' (1958), ''Star Bright'' (1959), ''Soundin' Off'' (1960), and ''Comin' On!'' (1960).

As sideman

With Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers *'' Africaine'' (Blue Note, 1959

998 Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescentius II (the Younger) and his followers ...

With Tony Crombie And His Orchestra *''Presenting Tony Crombie No.1'' (

, 1955) With

*''Victor Feldman Septet'' (Tempo, 1955) *'' Suite Sixteen'' (Contemporary, 1955

958 Year 958 (Roman numerals, CMLVIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * October / November – Battle of Raban: The Byzantine Empire, Byzantines under John I Tzimiskes, Jo ...

*''In London Vol. 2 Big Band'' (Tempo, 1957) *''Transatlantic Alliance'' (Tempo, 1958) With

*'' The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band'' (MPS, 1968) With

*'' A Day in Copenhagen'' ( MPS, 1969) With Tubby Hayes And His Orchestra *''Modern Jazz Scene, 1956'' (Tempo, 1956) With Andrew Hill *'' Passing Ships'' (Blue Note, 1969) With

*'' Round Midnight'' (Lotus, 1969

980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) at Margut, ending the Franco-Germa ...

With The In-Town Jazz Group * ''Progressive Jazz'' (

, 1955 961 With

*'' Inward Fire'' (Muse, 1978) *'' Play What You Feel'' (Mapleshade, 1990

997 Year 997 ( CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first child of the emperor, but because of the power stru ...

*'' Down Through the Years'' (Milestone, 1991) With

*'' Flight to Jordan'' (Blue Note, 1960) With Art Matthews *''It's Easy To Remember'' (Mantra, 1979) With

*'' The Flip'' (Blue Note, 1969) With Gerry van der Klei *''Multifaced Gerry'' (Poker, 1975)

References

External links

Dizzy Reece website with interviews, music

''All About Jazz'' Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reece, Dizzy 1931 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Hard bop trumpeters Jamaican jazz trumpeters Blue Note Records artists 21st-century trumpeters People educated at Alpha Boys School