Steve Reid (January 29, 1944 – April 13, 2010) was an American

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 ...

drummer who played with

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 ...

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...

Kieran Hebden Kieran Miles David Hebden (born September 1977), known as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist with charting and critically acc ...

, and

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

. He worked as a session drummer for

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

Biography

Born in the South Bronx, Reid started drumming at 16. His family moved to Queens, New York, three blocks away from

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 ...

. Before attending

Adelphi University Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York, United States. Adelphi also has centers in Downtown Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County in addition to a virtual, online campus for remote students. As of 2019, it had ...

in Garden City, New York, he worked as part of the Apollo Theatre House Band and recorded with

Martha and the Vandellas Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1973 as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas) were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s as a major act for Motown Records. Formed by friends Annett ...

under the direction of

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

. In 1969, Reid refused to register for the draft during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. He was arrested as a conscientious objector and sentenced to a four-year prison sentence at

Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary The Federal Correctional Institution, Lewisburg (FCI Lewisburg) is a medium-security United States federal prison in Kelly Township, Pennsylvania, for male inmates. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States ...

, where he served with

Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (; born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975, declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 to 1971. He i ...

. After his release on parole in 1971, Reid found work as a session musician with

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sch ...

Charles Tyler Admiral Sir Charles Tyler, GCB (1760 – 28 September 1835) was a naval officer in the British Royal Navy who gained fame during the Napoleonic Wars as a naval captain that fought at the Battle of Copenhagen (1801) and Battle of Trafalgar, bec ...

, and

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

, in addition to Broadway stage work. In 1974, Reid formed the Legendary Master Brotherhood and his record label, Mustevic Sound. He lived in

Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...

, Switzerland, for several years in later life and released several recordings for the English label

Soul Jazz Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including sa ...

and the German label CPR. For his final albums, his band included Chuck Henderson (soprano saxophone), Boris Netsvetaev (piano), and Chris Lachotta (double-bass). In 2006, Reid and electronic musician

,Dacks, Davi
"Steve Reid's Rhythm Methods "
, ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'', February 2008. recorded the experimental album ''

The Exchange Session Vol. 1 ''The Exchange Session Vol. 1'' is a 2006 album by Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid, recorded in one day at The Exchange Mastering Studios in London. The album contains no overdubbing or editing. Track listing # "Morning Prayer" – 6:38 # "Soul Osc ...

''. The duo enjoyed this collaboration so much that they recorded three more albums: ''

The Exchange Session Vol. 2 ''The Exchange Session Vol. 2'' is a 2006 album by Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid. Track listing # "Hold Down the Rhythms, Hold Down the Machines" – 20:00 # "Noémie" – 17:28 # "We Dream Free" – 16:02 Personnel *Steve Reid – drums and perc ...

'' (2006), '' Tongues'' (2007), and '' NYC'' (2008). In an interview, Reid referred to Hebden as his "musical soul mate". On April 13, 2010, Reid died in New York of throat cancer.

Discography

As leader

* ''Rhythmatism'' (Mustevic, 1976) * ''Nova'' (Mustevic, 1976) * ''Odyssey of the Oblong Square'' (Mustevic, 1977) * ''Raw Material'' with Per Henrik Wallin, Kevin Ross (Dragon, 1983) * ''A Drum Story'' (Altrisuoni, 2001) * ''Waves'' (C. P., 2003) * ''Spirit Walk'' (Soul Jazz, 2005) * ''Daxaar (Recorded in Africa)'' (Domino, 2007) With Kieran Hebden * ''

'' (Domino, 2006) * ''

'' (Domino, 2006) * '' Tongues'' (Domino, 2007) * '' NYC'' (Domino, 2008) * ''Live at the South Bank'' (Smalltown Superjazzz, 2011)

As sideman

With

Arthur Blythe Arthur Murray Blythe (July 5, 1940 – March 27, 2017) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a ...

* ''

The Grip ''The Grip'' is a live album, live debut album by jazz saxophonist Arthur Blythe, recorded at the Brook, New York City in 1977 and released on the India Navigation label.Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth transformation or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and different ...

'' (India Navigation, 1979) With

* ''

The Popcorn "The Popcorn" is a 1969 instrumental written and recorded by James Brown. It was the first of several records Brown made inspired by the popular dance of the same name. Released as a single on King Records, it charted #11 R&B and #30 Pop.White, ...

'' (1969) With Ted Daniel * ''In the Beginning'' (Altura, 1975) With

* '' Tutu'' (1986) With

Fela Ransome Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that combine ...

* ''Africa One'' With

Frank Lowe Frank Lowe (June 24, 1943 – September 19, 2003) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone at the age of 12. As an adult he moved to San Francisco, where h ...

* ''Fresh'' (1975) * ''Out Loud'' (2014) With

Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha and the Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for two ...

" (Motown, 1964) With

* ''Voyage from Jericho'' (1975) * ''Live in Europe'' (Umea, 1977) * ''

Saga of the Outlaws ''Saga of the Outlaws'' (subtitled "Ride of the Marauders: a polyphonic sonic tale of the old & new West") is a live album by saxophonist Charles Tyler. It was recorded on May 20, 1976, at Studio Rivbea in New York City, and was released in 1978 ...

'' (Nessa, 1978) * ''Folk and Mystery Stories'' (Sonet, 1980) * ''Definite Volume 1'' (Storyville, 1982) * ''Definite Volume 2'' (Storyville, 1984) * ''At WKCR'' (2014) With others *

Lorraine Feather Lorraine Feather (born Billie Jane Lee Lorraine Feather; September 10, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and songwriter. Early life A native of Manhattan, she was born to jazz writer Leonard Feather and his wife Jane, a former big band si ...

, ''The Body Remembers'' (Bean Bag, 1996) *

Jackiem Joyner Jackiem Joyner (born February 9, 1980) is a smooth jazz saxophonist and flutist from Norfolk, Virginia, US. Biography Son of Dianne Joyner Terry and Jackie Smith (local bass guitar player known as the raven). Raised by his mother in a sing ...

, ''Lil' Man Soul'' (Artistry, 2009) *

Dave Koz David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in Los Angeles, California. Early life Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologis ...

, ''

'' (Capitol, 1990) *

Nelson Rangell Nelson Rangell (born March 26, 1960) is an American smooth jazz musician and composer from Castle Rock, Colorado. Although he is known for his work with the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, his primary instrument is the piccolo, which he beg ...

, ''In Every Moment'' (GRP, 1992) * Richard Smith, ''From My Window'' (Brainchild, 1994)

References

External links

*
Steve Reid
article at the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Steve Reid
article at ''Prefix Magazine''
Steve Reid
article at Exclaim, February 2008
Steve Reid
interview at

Domino Recording Company Domino Recording Company, or simply Domino, is a British independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in Brooklyn, New York that handles releases in the United States, as well as a German division called ...

Steve Reid
interview with P Sullivan at

Wax Poetics ''Wax Poetics'' is a global music platform for music collectors, with its roots as a music magazine dedicated to vintage and contemporary jazz, funk, soul, Latin, hip-hop, reggae, blues, and R&B in the crate-digger tradition; the name of the ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Steve 1944 births 2010 deaths Adelphi University alumni American conscientious objectors Avant-garde jazz musicians American jazz drummers Musicians from Queens, New York Jazz musicians from New York City People from Lugano Deaths from throat cancer in New York (state) Spiritual jazz musicians American male drummers Drummers from New York City