Artist description Jazz-guitar trio

Music Style Jazz

Musical Influences Mingus, Monk, Coltrane, James

Similar Artists Mingus, Monk, Steve Lacy, Geri Allen, George Russell, James

Artist History In October 1999 the Kim Reith Trio, consisting of Kim Reith on electric hollow body guitar, Bruce Grafrath on acoustic bass, and Kevin Green, drums, recorded an album of ten originals by bandleader Reith. The jazz-guitar trio is more open and spare sounding than a comparable piano trio, for instance, partly because the chordal voicings on guitar use fewer notes than most piano voicings. In the bass this feature is even more outstanding, giving improvisers great freedom over the form. The band stretches out over swinging pieces that feature unusual harmonic progressions, changes in meter and dynamic melodies. "I like to use my compositions as a way to pose musical problems for the improviser to deal with. This sparks the players? creativity and makes the performance more edgy and electric," says Reith.

Group Members KIMI REITH, Composer and bandleader. b. 2/19/54 Electric hollow-body guitar. Began studying guitar in 1985. She studied privately with San Francisco jazz guitarists Marlena Teich and Duncan James and with the LA/San Diego jazz guitarist Art Johnson, and spent many years in independent study. Reith has been composing jazz works for small and large ensembles since 1993, and formally studied jazz theory, composing and arranging under Rick Helzer at SDSU. Between 1985 and 1987 she was a guitarist, singer and songwriter for an experimental SF punk-rock trio, the Well Babies. Then in 1987 she began focussing exclusively on jazz studies, eventually getting her feet wet with various small San Francisco jazz bands. In 1992 she supported herself by playing solo jazz guitar on the streets of Paris, returning to San Diego in 1993. With her jazz duo Groove Yard and the Kim Reith Trio, Kimi played extensively throughout the San Diego area between 1993 and 2000. "BAIL!" is her first album, recorded in late 1999 to document her compositions and her ensemble work with bassist Bruce Grafrath. BRUCE GRAFRATH, Acoustic bass. b. 1/19/54 San Diego is Bruce?s hometown. He began playing music at the age of 11, experimenting with the ubiquitous keyboard instruments in his family?s house. When his sister presented him with a guitar in 6th grade it became his primary instrument until 1987 when he began studying the electric bass. He switched to upright in 1990, studying with the well-known bassist Gunnar Biggs. Grafrath is largely a self-taught musician. His acute ear and intonation, melodic solo lines, and sensitivity to other players makes him a sought-after bassist in San Diego?s jazz community. He?s shared the stage with local jazz luminaries Mike Wofford, Holly Hoffman, both Charles McPherson and his drummer son Chuck McPherson and Joe Marillo. Grafrath and Reith have played numerous gigs together, and began their musical association in 1994. KEVIN GREEN, Drums. b. 7/13/73 Kevin is also from San Diego. He began playing music at the age of six, studying piano for seven years. His focus changed to percussion in 1983, and he became serious about jazz drums in 1990. In 1992, after a year of musical studies at California Institute of the Arts, Kevin transferred to Jackson State University, majoring in Music Education. He was graduated cum laude in 1997. He has studied privately with Al "Tootie" Heath, William Beathea, Al Fielder and Julie Spencer, and attended weekly drum workshops with Billy Higgins at The World Stage in Los Angeles. Green is a member of the Taco Shop Poets, a spoken word/percussion group, Tree-yo X, a jazz group with World Music influences, and Teye Sa Thiosanne, an African drum and dance company. He has contributed to several recordings, "Chorizo Tongue Fire," by the Taco Shop Poets, Essence Project?s "The Essence of My Children," and the Jah Sun-Nommo Collective release "Catabasis." His serious, focussed, spiritual presence and unique playing style made Green the creative drummer of choice for Reith.

Instruments Hollow-body jazz guitar, acoustic bass, drums

Albums BAIL! Pygmy Godeus Recordings

Press Reviews Mark Lewis of San Diego Sidewalk called Reith's style of jazz "crookedly straight-ahead." Will York's review of the Kim Reith Trio at Listen.com says: "Reith's quietly mischievous playing puts a twist on the jazz guitar tradition embodied by her classic, hollow-bodied electric tone. Melodic without ever quite feeling settled, her sparse, clean-toned lines are just the right match for the rhythm section's deviantly swinging Bop foundation." http://www.listen.com/artdetail.jsp?artistid=266477&artpg=rev

Additional Info This jazz is for the musically adventurous who want to go way out and have fun doing it. Let us take you someplace a little different than where you've been...

Location Altadena, CA - USA

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