Dizzy Reece

Alphonso Son “Dizzy” Reece was born January 5, 1931 in Kingston, Jamaica. Reece began his musical studies on saxophone but switched to the trumpet at age 14 and became a full-time musician at age 16. Reece moved to London in 1948 and performed across Europe for the next decade working with American jazz musicians including Don Byas, Kenny Clarke, Frank Foster, and Thad Jones, among others. He recorded his debut album Blues In Trinity in London in 1958 with a band that included fellow trumpeter Donald Byrd and Art Taylor on drums, in addition to Tubby Hayes on tenor saxophone, Terry Shannon on piano, and Lloyd Thompson on bass. The album was released by Blue Note Records in 1959, and with encouragement from the likes of Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, Reece also made the move to New York City that same year. In November 1959, Blue Note brought Reece into Rudy Van Gelder’s studio to record Star Bright with Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Two more Blue Note albums were recorded in 1960, Soundin’ Off and Comin’ On, the latter of which went unreleased until 1999.