Rufus Reid (born February 10, 1944, inAtlanta, Georgia) is an Americanjazzbassist, educator, and composer.^[1]

Reid was raised inSacramento, California, where he played thetrumpet through junior high andhigh school. Upon graduation fromSacramento High School, he entered theUnited States Air Force as a trumpet player. During that period, he began to be seriously interested in thedouble bass.

After fulfilling his duties in the military, Rufus had decided he wanted to pursue a career as a professional bassist. He moved toSeattle, Washington, where he studied bass with James Harnett of theSeattle Symphony. He continued his education atNorthwestern University inEvanston, Illinois, where he studied withWarren Benfield and principal bassist,Joseph Guastefeste, both of theChicago Symphony. He graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Music Degree as a Performance Major on the Double Bass.

Rufus Reid's major professional career began in Chicago and continues since 1976 inNew York City. Playing with hundreds of the world's greatest musicians, he is famously the bassist that saxophonistDexter Gordon chose when he returned to the states from his decade-long exile inDenmark. His colleagues includeThad Jones,Nancy Wilson,Eddie Harris, andBob Berg.

Reid directed the Jazz Studies program atWilliam Paterson University from 1979 to 1999.^[2] After retiring from that position, he spent five years attending the weekly BMI Jazz Composer's Workshop in New York City.^[3] Reid has also served on the faculty of the biannual Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass, which moved toMontclair State University in 2024.

Reid has been a resident ofTeaneck, New Jersey.^[4][1]

Reid's double bass is a Josef Rieger circa 1805.

• Perpetual Stroll (Theresa, 1980)
• Mirth Song, withHarold Danko (Sunnyside, 1982)
• Too Marvelous for Words, with Joe Carter (Empathy, 1982)
• Seven Minds (Sunnyside, 1984)
• Corridor To The Limits (Sunnyside, 1989)
• Song for Luis, withRon Jackson (Mastermix, 1996)
• Double Bass Delights, withMichael Moore (Double-Time, 1996)
• Intimacy of the Bass, with Michael Moore (Double-Time, 1999)
• Alone Together, withPeter Ind (Wave, 2000)
• The Gait Keeper (Sunnyside, 2003)
• Live at the Kennedy Center (Motéma, 2007)
• Out Front (Motéma, 2009)
• Hues of a Different Blue (Motéma, 2011)
• Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project (Motéma, 2014)
• Terrestrial Dance, Rufus Reid Trio with the Sirius Quartet (Newvelle Records, 2017 - Vinyl only)
• Always in the Moment, withSullivan Fortner (Newvelle, 2020)
• Celebration, Rufus Reid Trio with the Sirius Quartet (Sunnyside, 2022)
• It's the Nights I Like, with Sullivan Fortner (Sunnyside, 2024)

WithAkira Tana

• Yours and Mine (Concord Jazz, 1991)
• Passing Thoughts (Concord Jazz, 1992)
• Blue Motion (Paddle Wheel, 1993)
• Rumour with Charles LicataRumour (Charles Publishing, 1995)
• Looking Forward (Evidence, 1995)
• Back to Front (Evidence, 1998)

• The Evolving Bassist (1974) (2nd edition:ISBN 978-0-9676015-0-2)

• Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops
• Stanford Jazz Workshop
• TheLake Placid Institute
• Professor Emeritus,^[5]William Paterson University, Jazz Studies and Performance program (1979–1999)
• The "Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists" Annual Bass Conference
• The Sligo Jazz Project
• Bass Coalition Summer Workshop
• Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass

• 1997 Humanitarian Award,International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE)
• 1998 Jazz Educator Achievement Award,Bass Player
• 1999 Outstanding Educator, New Jersey Chapter of the IAJE
• 2001 Distinguished Achievement Award,International Society of Bassists
• 2005 Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award,Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
• 2006 Award, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Composition Competition, administered byUniversity of Connecticut
• 2006 Fellowship,New Jersey State Council on the Arts
• 2006 ASCAP/IAJE Strayhorn Commission Recipient
• 2008Guggenheim Fellowship, Creative Arts/Music Composition category^[6]
• Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Award ("Skies Over Emilia")

• Official site
• Stanford Jazz Workshop
• Rufus Reid atMotéma Music
• Rufus Reid Interview NAMM Oral History Program (2005)