(New York, NY) January 4, 2005 - Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola -- located in The House of Swing, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall – kicks off 2005 with The Eric Reed Trio featuring Buster Williams on bass and Al Foster on drums. When you think of hard-driving swing, daring expression, sophistication and elegance in artistry, there are only a small handful of young pianists you think of and one of them is most assuredly Eric Reed.

The Eric Reed Trio with Buster Williams and Al Foster
Two full artist sets at 7:30pm & 9:30pm. Additional set on Friday & Saturday at 11pm.

Born in Philadelphia on June 21, 1970, Eric Reed grew up playing Gospel music in his father's storefront Baptist church. But the jazz bug bit Reed at a young age after hearing recordings of Art Blakey, Ramsey Lewis and Dave Brubeck. Eric started out his professional life in the bands of Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wilson, Clora Bryant and John Clayton. He attended Cal State Northridge for one year during which he toured briefly with Wynton Marsalis at age 18. A year later, Eric joined Marsalis' Septet (1990-91; 1992-95). He spent two years with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (1996-98), making countless recordings and TV appearances with them. Reed also worked in the bands of Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson (1991-92). Eric continues to perform and record with an assorted multitude of masters such as Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Cassandra Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Dianne Reeves and a host of other diverse performers including Natalie Cole, Patti Labelle, Oletta Adams and Quincy Jones.

Since 1995, Eric has been touring the world with his own ensembles, making serious waves in the jazz community. The legendary Ahmad Jamal has called Eric, "one of my very favorite pianists." Eric's recording Pure Imagination, shot to #1 on the Gavin chart and stayed there for seven weeks, earning him the 1999 Gavin Artist of the Year award. His next recording, Manhattan Melodies was also #1 on Gavin for several weeks.

In addition to leading a quintet that features some of the finest young talent on the scene, Eric presently expands his musical horizons in the area of education, teaching in various situations worldwide. Away from the piano, Eric serves as the artistic director of a concert series called Jazz Composer Portraits at Columbia University's Miller Theater. Eric's latest CD releases include Merry Magic and Mercy and Grace, both on the Nagel-Heyer label.

Concerning Reed's thoughts on Gillespie, "I met Dizzy at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival back in August 1989. We were sharing a tiny ferry ride from where we were staying to the main island. Dizzy decided that he no longer wanted to ride inside the boat, so he stood outside on the two-foot wide ledge - as we're sailing across the sea! These Japanese folks went berserk - crying and begging him to come back inside - and Dizzy was just laughing his ass off, holding onto a rail with one hand and swinging the other in the wind. I'm glad that Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola exists; having a new Jazz venue to play in will be a huge boost to the scene."

Bassist Buster Williams is a prodigious artist whose playing knows no limits. In addition to his activities as a leader, Williams has toured and recorded with the giants of jazz, including Art Blakey, Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon, Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Herbie Hancock, Lee Konitz, McCoy Tyner, Illinois Jacquet, Nancy Wilson, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Woody Shaw, Sarah Vaughan, Benny Golson, Mary Lou Williams, Hank Jones, Lee Morgan, Cedar Walton, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Rollins, Count Basie, Errol Garner, Kenny Barron, Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard and many more.

Drummer Al Foster, born in Richmond, VA, and raised in New York, made his recording debut at age 16 with trumpeter Blue Mitchell (as "Aloysius Foster" on the Blue Note album The Thing to Do). In 1969, at the Cellar Club on 95th St. in Manhattan, Foster got his big break. While backing up bassist Earl May, Miles Davis hired Foster on the spot as a replacement for Jack DeJohnette. This indeed would prove a long commitment for Foster, who played on every Miles Davis album ranging from Big Fun to You're Under Arrest, and toured with him extensively. Foster went on to perform and record as a leader and with the likes of Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Haden, Thelonious Monk, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Liebman, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson and many others.

Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola offers spectacular views and serves a jazz inspired menu seven days a week through the collaboration between Great Performances and Spoonbread culinary creators. Reservations can be made at 212-258-9595 or via the Jazz at Lincoln Center web site http://www.jalc.org.

Monday, January 3: UPSTARTS! STUDENT SHOWCASE
7:30 & 9:30pm: Ali Jackson Trio & Friends – Holiday Jam Session

AFTER HOURS SETS
Tuesday-Saturday, January 4-8 After Hours: John DiMartino (piano) and Bob Kindred (tenor saxophone).

Tuesday-Thursday set starts at 11pm; Friday & Saturday set starts at 12:30am.

In recent years an ever-growing audience, here and abroad, has become aware of the rare, individual sound and depth of the playing of tenor saxophonist Bob Kindred. Of his most recent releases, JazzTimes Magazine said "It's fair to say that Kindred now ranks with the giants of his instrument, with Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, John Coltrane and Zoot Sims." Kindred's craft was first honed in his native Philadelphia working with organ trios led by Groove Holmes, Charles Earland and Shirley Scott. He then toured with several big bands including Woody Herman's Thundering New Herd. In 1992 Kindred was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a concert entitled "To Ben and Johnny, With Love", a tribute to Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges. His latest release is Bob Kindred and Larry Willis, Duets. At Dizzy's Kindred will be joined by ace pianist/arranger, and fellow Philadelphian, John DiMartino, who has performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody and Eddie Gomez. DiMartino is a sought after musical director and has accompanied Jon Hendricks, Diane Schuur and the late Billy Eckstine. He is also active on the world scene, working with Paquito D'Rivera, South African bassist Bakithi Kumalo and conguero Giovanni Hidalgo. DiMartino continues to enjoy a long association with percussionist/musicologist Bobby Sanabria. Their joint efforts include the Grammy nominated CD, "Live And In Clave" on the Arabesque label, three instructional videos on Warner Bros. and numerous educational clinics and seminars. John is a long time member of Ray Barretto's "New World Spirit," and is featured pianist/arranger on several recordings, including the Grammy nominated CD "Contact." Mr. DiMartino has also recorded with Freddie Cole and legendary percussionist Patato Valdez.

****NEXT WEEK AT DIZZY'S CLUB Coca-Cola****

Tuesday, January 11 through Sunday, January 16:
Eric Reed Happiness Sextet
Eric Reed (piano), Sean Jones (trumpet), Myron Walden (alto saxophone), Seamus Blake (tenor saxophone), Dwayne Burno (bass), Billy Drummond (drums)

Two full artist sets at 7:30pm & 9:30pm.

Additional set on Friday & Saturday at 11pm.

Young jazz titan Eric Reed is fast establishing a well-deserved reputation as one of the most solid and consistently exciting arranger/composers on the modern jazz scene today. This special edition of his Happiness Sextet will be performing music from his Nagel-Heyer CD, Happiness, and other compositions.

AFTER HOURS SETS
Tuesday-Saturday, January 11-15 Wycliffe Gordon (Trombone) and Jay Leonhart (bass)

Tuesday-Thursday set starts at 11pm; Friday & Saturday set starts at 12:30am.

Monday, January 10: APAP Celebrates Music of Miles Davis
7:30 and 9:30pm
The annual APAP Conference will showcase a very special performance featuring: Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Gary Bartz (alto saxophone), Wayne Escoffery (tenor saxophone); Dave Kikoski (piano); Ed Howard (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). There will be limited public seating. Tickets are $30. Upstarts! will return January 17.

You never know who's going to show up at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola.

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Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz. With the world-renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and a comprehensive array of guest artists, Jazz at Lincoln Center advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education, and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. These productions include concerts, national and international tours, residencies, weekly national radio and television programs, recordings, publications, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, a jazz appreciation curriculum for children, advanced training through the Julliard Institute for Jazz Studies, music publishing, children's concerts, lectures, adult education courses, film programs, and student and educator workshops. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, President & CEO Hughlyn F. Fierce, Executive Director Derek E. Gordon, Chairman of the Board Lisa Schiff and Jazz at Lincoln Center Board and staff, Jazz at Lincoln Center will produce hundreds of events during its 2004-05 season. This is the inaugural season in Jazz at Lincoln Center's new home — Frederick P. Rose Hall — the first-ever performance, education, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz.  

For more information on Jazz at Lincoln Center, please visit www.jalc.org.