Eric Reed (musician)
A versatile jazz pianist whose deep-rooted swing and gospel feel have powered collaborations with some of the music's greatest voices.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American jazz pianist and composer·Birthday: June 21·Generation X
Biography
Eric Reed emerged from Philadelphia's rich musical soil, a prodigy who was playing piano in his father's church by age five. That gospel foundation never left him, becoming the soulful core of his jazz expression. His big break came in his late teens when he joined Wynton Marsalis's band, a rigorous apprenticeship that honed his technical command and historical knowledge. Reed never settled into a single style; his playing can shift from hard-swinging bebop to lyrical balladry with intuitive grace. As a leader, his recordings are thoughtful explorations of standards and original compositions, often reflecting his spiritual and musical heritage. Beyond performance, he has dedicated significant energy to education, shaping new generations of musicians with the same principles of tradition and individuality that define his own work.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Eric was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Eric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the pianist for the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in the early 1990s.
- Led the influential West Coast jazz group Black Note, which released several albums in the 1990s.
- Recorded over 20 albums as a bandleader, including 'The Dancing Monk' and 'Everybody Gets the Blues'.
- Has performed and recorded with a vast array of jazz greats, including Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, and Dianne Reeves.
Did You Know?
He began playing piano professionally at age 11, accompanying singers at weddings and community events.
He composed and arranged music for the 1996 film 'Kansas City', directed by Robert Altman.
He has served on the faculty of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music.
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