Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Kim Reith was born on February 19, 1954 in San Diego, California. As a child, she was exposed to a large jazz, blues, folk, opera, world and ethnomusicology recording collection belonging to her music-loving mother.

In 1979 Reith made her entrée into music as a backup vocalist in an all-women’s blues and gospel chorale for San Francisco, California blues pianist, singer/songwriter and recording artist Gwen Avery. She began her instrumental career as a guitarist, singer and songwriter for an experimental SF punk-rock trio, the Well Babies. In 1985 she began studying guitar privately with San Francisco jazz guitarists Marlena Teich and Duncan James and with the Los Angeles/San Diego jazz guitarist Art Johnson, and spent many years in independent study.

1987 saw her beginning to focus 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, France returning to San Diego in 1993. That year, she joined acclaimed avant-garde Canadian saxophonist Maury Coles for duo explorations and performances. At the opposite end of the jazz spectrum, Kim also performed with the UCSD Big Band under Jimmie Cheatham’s direction. She formed both the duo Groove Yard and the Kim Reith Trio in 1994, performing extensively with both groups throughout San Diego between 1994 and 2000.

Reith has been composing jazz works for small and large ensembles since 1993, formally studying jazz theory, composing and arranging under Rick Helzer at SDSU. Recording her debut album BAIL! In late 1999 she documented her compositions and her ensemble work with San Diego bassist Bruce Grafrath. She has gone on to collaborate with Bronx-born Swiss resident Edmund J. Wood, on a series of experimental open improvisations, featuring Reith on hollow-body electric guitar and Wood on fretless bass and implied-time drum loops.

Guitarist Kim Reith currently composes and performs in Los Angeles, California. Unfortunately she has not posted any of her music on line.

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