Alphonso Son "Dizzy" Reece (born 5 January 1931) is a Jamaican-born jazz trumpeter. Reece emerged within London's burgeoning bebop jazz scene during the 1950s and went on to become a leading proponent of hard bop jazz in New York City.

He later experimented with other jazz sub-genres in the late 1960s and 1970s, and continues to remain active in performance and composition. He attended the Alpha Boys School, 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 in 1948 as part of the Windrush Generation, 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, notably Paris.

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, In 1955 Hall assumed responsibility for overseeing the revival of Decca's subsidiary, Tempo, quickly recording, producing, and issuing sessions by Reece, as well as many of his London contemporaries, such as Tubby Hayes and Victor Feldman.

In 1958 Hall recorded what became Reece's first Blue Note album, secured through arrangement with Alfred Lion and Hall's successful licensing of Reece's session. 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 and Sonny Rollins. On the basis of Blues in Trinity both Reece and Tubby Hayes were "short-listed" by Art Blakey for possible membership of the Jazz Messengers. Although both declined, Reece briefly appeared with the Jazz Messengers for live performances Hall subsequently orchestrated Reece's signing to Blue Note, whereupon Reece settled in New York City and recorded several sessions, including Star Bright, Comin' On!, and Soundin' Off.

Upon departing the Blue Note label, Reece next recorded Asia Minor 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. Reece's West Indian 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, as hypocritical since many supposed 'local' musicians came from West Indian households and were first generation Americans. and his principal playing was instead on sideman dates for the likes of Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, and Andrew Hill. 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. In a 2024 interview, A prolific writer, Reece has penned numerous articles about jazz music, including a substantial biographical history of jazz saxophonists. 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 (Tempo, 1956) with Jimmy Deuchar
  • Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace (Savoy Records, 1957) with Tubby Hayes
  • A New Star (Tempo, 1955–56) with Phil Seamen
  • Progress Report (Tempo, 1956–58) with Victor Feldman, Tubby Hayes
  • Blues in Trinity (Blue Note, 1959)
  • Star Bright (Blue Note, 1960)
  • Comin' On! (Blue Note, 1960 [1999])
  • Soundin' Off (Blue Note, 1960)
  • Asia Minor (New Jazz, 1962)
  • Nirvana: The Zen of the Jazz Trumpet (Jazz Vision 1968 [2006])
  • From In to Out - (Futura, 1970)
  • Possession, Exorcism, Peace (Honey Dew, 1974)
  • Manhattan Project (Bee Hive, 1978)
  • Blowin' Away (Interplay, 1978) with Ted Curson
  • Dealing Vol. I (JazzVision Records, 1981 [2014])
  • Dealing Vol. II (JazzVision Records, 1982 [2014])

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 [1998])

With Tony Crombie And His Orchestra

  • Presenting Tony Crombie No.1 (Decca Records, 1955)

With Victor Feldman

  • Victor Feldman Septet (Tempo, 1955)
  • Suite Sixteen (Contemporary, 1955 [1958])
  • In London Vol. 2 Big Band (Tempo, 1957)
  • Transatlantic Alliance (Tempo, 1958)

With Dizzy Gillespie

  • The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band (MPS, 1968)

With Dexter Gordon

  • 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 Philly Joe Jones

  • Round Midnight (Lotus, 1969 [1980])

With The In-Town Jazz Group

  • Progressive Jazz (Decca Records, 1955 [1961])

With Clifford Jordan

  • Inward Fire (Muse, 1978)
  • Play What You Feel (Mapleshade, 1990 [1997])
  • Down Through the Years (Milestone, 1991)

With Duke Jordan

  • Flight to Jordan (Blue Note, 1960)

With Art Matthews

  • It's Easy To Remember (Mantra, 1979)

With Hank Mobley

  • The Flip (Blue Note, 1969)

With Gerry van der Klei

  • Multifaced Gerry (Poker, 1975)

References

  • Dizzy Reece website with interviews, music
  • Discography and articles
  • All About Jazz Interview