what they're saying
“Ed Reed sings 11 familiar songs [on Love Stories] with the passion of one
who’s come to know them intimately. He shares his love for the music
while sending a message about where we’re headed and where we’ve
been.”
All About Jazz: New York February 2, 2008
“When he hit the stage at The Jazz Standard on October 29 [2007] there was
an energy in the room that was palpable…He gave a languid and bluesey
reading of [“A Sleepin’ Bee] that set the tone for what was to
come. His sandy baritone, a bit suggestive of Eddie Jefferson or Jon Hendricks,
but softer in texture, hewed closely to the melody, but he altered notes
here and there … making his take on the song uniquely personal…a
pattern that he followed for the rest of the show…With the concluding
selection, there was no doubt that on this evening the song was Ed Reed.”
Jazz Improv NY, January 2008
“Time has only enriched Reed’s voice, a hypnotic baritone that suggests
Grady Tate via Billy Eckstine … 11 exquisite tracks … What Reed
does with the likes of “A Sleepin’ Bee,” “Ask Me Now,” "Ghost
of a Chance,” “Daydream” and “If the Moon Turns Green” that
even Billie Holiday would surely bow to … is transporting.”
Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes, August 2007
“Sings with the fire of a young man … His a cappella performance of ‘Motherless
Child’ closes the album with an impressive display that channels centuries
of sorrow into every syllable.”
S.F. Examiner, July 4, 2007
“Reed…has a smooth, expressive, and caramel-toned voice, precise diction
and exact intonation.”
Jazziz, June 2007
“A jazz singer in the truest sense, Reed absorbed the influences of Nat King
Cole and Bill Henderson while honing an idiosyncratic style all his own ...
the CD is a gorgeous calling card.”
Andrew Gilbert on The California Report (KQED/NPR), June 22, 2007
“Where have you been hiding, Ed Reed? The entire jazz world needs to hear
you! ”
Sheila Jordan
“A great new voice – he really swings!”
Tootie Heath
“[Reed’s] debut disc … is absolutely ravishing from beginning
to end…”
James Isaacs on “Here and Now” (WBUR/NPR), May 29, 2007
