Sunday, September 12th 5:00 p.m.  Ed Reed: www.edreedsings.com

Ed Reed: Growing up in Watts, California in the 1930s and 40´s provided a rare musical learning environment. I was in high school talent shows with "Little Esther" Phillips and Bobby Nunn of the Coasters. I learned to sing chord changes from the man who would become jazz master Charles Mingus while he was minding his sister´s kids across the street from my house.

Alienated by teachers who wanted me to go to shoe shop when I wanted to study debate, I left high school before graduation and joined the Army where I became addicted to heroin.

I served four stints in San Quentin and Folsom prisons on drug-related charges. I think, partly due to my love of jazz, I was able to survive those ordeals. In two of my incarcerations, I was a featured singer in the warden´s show performing with an inmate big band with Art Pepper soloing on all of my tunes. When I wasn´t doing time, I did many "open mikes" with jazz greats like Wardell Gray, Art Farmer, Hampton Hawes, Dexter Gordon, and others.

I had been singing all my life, and yet, I had never consciously thought of myself as a singer until I met Ralph Bravo in the late 50´s.

Ralph was playing guitar in the park to a small group of people standing around listening to him. I was thunderstruck by the sound he was getting from that instrument. Ralph was a guitar player - unlike any I had ever heard.

I had always loved the sound of jazz guitar more than any other instrument. I listened to guitar recordings with an analytical and critical ear, I think I hear harmonics more distinctly when played on the guitar than any other instrument. I knew Charlie Christian´s sound after hearing the first note. I knew every note of Grant Green, Tal Farlow, and Barney Kessel solos. I never got enough of Billy Bauer or Johnnie Smith or Django Reinhardt. read more www.edreedsings.com

 After the Jazz Church, stay and fellowship and have something to eat.

Art by Cleven Goodie Goudeau