Tony Reedus - R.I.P.

[Lois Gilbert]

This is too hard to believe. I am really in shock. I was in my car and read it on my blackberry and then called Billy Drummond to confirm. Sadly he did.

He collapsed on his way home from a gig in Italy (Tony didn't keep his itinerary up to date) and it's still not clear if he died here or in Italy. He leaves a daughter Cameron and his wife Neicy. I'm beyond sad.

[gonzo]

what a fine fine drummer he was. have a CD with gary thomas and dave holland thats great. very saddened to hear the news.

[Tom Storer]

That's shocking news. He was a fine musician. R.I.P.

[Uli]

RIP, Sir.

[Ron Thorne]

Man, Tony was only 49 years old. I didn't realize until today that he was the nephew of the late pianist James Williams.

What a fine drummer! I think I first heard Tony on a Woody Shaw recording, but I also enjoyed him more recently on Alan Dawson's Waltzing With Flo where he sits in the drum chair when Alan plays vibes.



R.I.P., Tony Reedus~

[Lois Gilbert]

He died in the hospital here. Mike LeDonne took him to the hospital and called his wife. So many of us who knew him well are just in shock.

[Ron Thorne]

I read online that both of Tony's parents died at a young age, too. Perhaps there was a family history of heart disease or something.

Condolences to Tony's wife, family and friends.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

This is such terrible news. 49 is just too young. Time to give the wife a hug. Life's too short to pass up one.

[CRF Mark II]

Sad news.

[Bill Barton]

R.I.P.

This is indeed very sad news.

I heard him with Woody Shaw a number of years back and loved his playing.

Please allow me to add my sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

[shrugs]

Sad news indeed.
My prayers go out to his family and friends.

[hornplayer]

not good news at ALL!

condolences to his family and all his close friends.

yes, Ron.... James was always so proud of Tony.

[JonnyKing]

Lois and everyone else -- Tony's death is a great, great loss to the jazz world, to the "regular" world, and to me and Tony's many other good friends. Tony was one of the funniest, most quotable, most tell-it-like-it-is people I've ever known. I started playing with him in the mid 1980s, when I wasn't even 20, and we spent countless hours playing, bs-ing, griping about the Yankees or a record date or something else, and laughing. My friends and family all still use plenty of the hilarious expressions Tony taught us, and as I now think back, I met many of those friends through Tony. Because Tony was the opposite of a self-promoter and simply refused to play any "marketing" games in the music business, I think many jazz fans do not realize what a phenomenal musical resume Tony compiled -- Dexter Gordan, Bags, Bobby Hutcherson, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Billy Taylor and pretty much anyone else you can think of. Older drummers, those heroes of the generation before us, often told me how much they admired Tony's originality and groove and beat and ... More than anything else, however, we'll miss his friendship. Tony -- be cool, say hi to James, and know how much we'll miss you. Love to Niecy, Cameron and the rest of Tony's family.

Jonny

[jazzy mary]

Very sad. He was a great drummer & a nice guy too.

[Cymbal groove]

This is really horrible to say the least!!! My heart goes out to his family.

[Lois Gilbert]

Tony Reedus, 49, top jazz drummer
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
BY ZAN STEWART
Star-Ledger Staff

A man with a big heart and a big beat, drummer Tony Reedus cared for other people the way he cared about making a band swing.

"He was true blue, he'd do anything for you," said pianist Mulgrew Miller, who knew Mr. Reedus as a youth in Memphis, where the drummer was born, and later employed him in his trio in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"He was supersensitive," said his wife, violinist Jenise Grice-Reedus. "He'd see a person who was sad and would go talk to that person, and would have another friend for life."

"He was a funny guy," said organist and pianist Mike LeDonne, with whom Mr. Reedus regularly performed. "Just a sweetheart, that's what Tony Reedus was, and great to work with."

Mr. Reedus died Sunday of a pulmonary embolism en route by ambulance to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in the Richmond Hill section of Queens. He had collapsed at John F. Kennedy International Airport after getting off an American Airlines flight from Bologna, Italy, where he had been performing with LeDonne. He was 49.

Mr. Reedus lived in Irvington with his wife and their 5-year-old daughter, Cameron. He had been troubled with undetermined gastrointestinal issues since August.

A superb musician, Mr. Reedus picked up the drums when he was 13 and broke into the upper echelon of jazz just seven years later, performing and recording with innovative trumpeter Woody Shaw. In a story in The Star-Ledger in 2006, he likened joining Shaw to a baseball player "going from single-A to the Show."

"It was music on such a high level," said Mr. Reedus.

He played on Shaw's albums "United" (Columbia) and "Master of the Art" (Elektra/Musician).

Mr. Reedus also played and recorded with such masters as trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, saxophonist Benny Golson, and guitarist Dave Stryker. Mr. Reedus also was a leader who made three solo albums.

Mr. Reedus was noted for his all-around drum kit acumen -- in particular, his ride cymbal beat. "He had a real wide beat, and his feel on the cymbal was unique," said Stryker, whose organ trio included Mr. Reedus for several years. "He felt great to play with, just really swinging, dancing."

Of the importance of that beat, Mr. Reedus said in 2006, "It's a heavy feeling that makes people want to pat their feet, sway back and forth. When people come to see you play, they want to escape, they want to feel good. Music is a celebration of life that comes from the heart."

Mr. Reedus returned to college in the middle of his career, earning a B.A. in music from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in 2005. "The day he graduated was one of the happiest days of his life," said Grice-Reedus, who plays with the Garden State Philharmonic and the Plainfield Symphony and leads the Ebony String Quartet.

Another was the birth of his daughter. "He loved being a father, being married," said Stryker.

Linda Grice, Mr. Reedus' mother-in-law, said: "He loved his family; he took good care of my daughter and my granddaughter."

Mr. Reedus' survivors include his brothers Chris and Keith, both of Memphis.

A visitation will be held Sunday at 2 p.m., with services at 4 p.m., at the Prospect Presbyterian Church, 646 Prospect St., Maplewood. More information is available by calling (973) 763-8955 or visiting the church's website (prospectchurch.org).

[Meatman]

This is very hard to hear. Such an excellent musician. Rest in peace.

[CRF Mark II]

Having a pulmonary embolism after a long plane flight is one of things they warn you about if your have a problem with blood clots. I wonder if this was related to any meds he was taking.

[Deke Thornton]

This is really sad; as others have said he was too young to go. I had the pleasure of seeing him live a few times. He powered the Mingus Big Band the only time I saw them at the Fez Cafe (I've seen other editions of the MBB elsewhere, mostly in the DC area). A little over two years ago I saw him with Dave Stryker and Jared Gold - the same personnel on Stryker's The Chaser. I think I'll give that disc a spin today.

Happy Trails, TR.

[gnhrtg]

I am sorry to hear this. I enjoy his playing on a couple of nice albums from the late 80's and early 90's. And yes, 49 is just too young to go.

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by CRF Mark II

Having a pulmonary embolism after a long plane flight is one of things they warn you about if your have a problem with blood clots. I wonder if this was related to any meds he was taking.

My wife and I have talked about this several times.

A pulmonary embolism can occur even if you have no history of clotting. It's very sad to think that it's possible that Tony could still be alive if he'd simply gotten up from his seat a few times and walked down the aisle of the aircraft to change his leg position. This is purely conjecture and wishful thinking, of course.

[John L]

Very sad indeed. RIP

[bopgurl79]

He'll be missed. I have him on a couple of Woody Shaw bootlegs.

[Jazzbo48]

OMG......I just posted a reply about Freddie's death and now I come across the thread about Tony Reedus's death. I'm even more shocked and saddened at this because of Tony's age. I know I have pictures that I took of Tony playing at the Newport (now Freihofer's) Jazz Festival in NY state. Another great talent who will be missed. Condolences to his family.

[Dr Dave]

I met Tony some years back when he was playing in Mulgrew Miller's trio. We mostly talked about his work with Kenny Garrett. What can I say? He came across as genuine, unaffected, somewhat bemused by his situation in life...probably like most of us. He'll be missed.