Vi Redd

Vi Redd
Vi Reed in Rochester, New York in 1977
Redd performing in Rochester, New York, 1977
Background information
Birth nameElvira Redd
Born(1928-09-20)September 20, 1928
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedFebruary 6, 2022(2022-02-06) (aged 93)
GenresJazz, bebop, hard bop, post bop
Occupation(s)Musician, vocalist, teacher
Instrument(s)Alto saxophone, vocals
Years active1950–2010
LabelsAtlantic, Atco, United Artists

Elvira Louise Redd (September 20, 1928 – February 6, 2022) was an American jazz alto saxophone player, vocalist and educator. She was active from the early 1950s and was known primarily for playing in the blues style. She was highly regarded as an accomplished veteran, and performed with Count Basie, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Linda Hopkins, Marian McPartland and Dizzy Gillespie.[1][2]

Life and career

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Redd was born on September 20, 1928, in Los Angeles, California,[3] the daughter of New Orleans jazz drummer and Clef Club co-founder Alton Redd and Mattie Redd (née Thomas).[4] Her mother played saxophone, although not professionally, and her brother was a percussionist.[3] She was deeply influenced during her formative years by her father, who was one of the leading figures on the Central Avenue jazz scene. Another important musical mentor was her paternal great aunt Alma Hightower,[2][5] who convinced the 10-year-old Redd to switch from piano to saxophone.[3] During junior high school, Redd played alto saxophone in a band with Melba Liston and Dexter Gordon.[6]

Redd graduated from Los Angeles State College in 1954,[3] and earned a teaching certificate from University of Southern California. After working for the Board of Education from 1957 to 1960, Redd returned to jazz. She played in Las Vegas in 1962, toured with Earl Hines in 1964 and led a group in San Francisco in the mid-1960s with her husband, drummer Richie Goldberg. During this time, Redd also worked with Max Roach. While active, she toured as far as Japan, London (including an unprecedented 10 weeks at Ronnie Scott's), Sweden, Spain and Paris. In 1969, she settled in Los Angeles where she played locally while also working as an educator.[1][7] She led albums for United Artists (1962) and Atco (1962–63). Her 1963 album Lady Soul features many prominent jazz figures of the day, including Bill Perkins, Jennell Hawkins, Barney Kessel, Leroy Vinnegar, Leroy Harrison, Dick Hyman, Paul Griffin, Bucky Pizzarelli, Ben Tucker and Dave Bailey. The liner notes are by Leonard Feather.[8][9]

Redd taught and lectured for many years from the 1970s onward upon returning to Los Angeles.[2][7] She served on the music advisory panel of the National Endowment for the Arts in the late 1970s.[10][11] In 1989, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Jazz Society.[12] In 2001, she received the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Award from the Kennedy Center.[13]

Redd died on February 6, 2022, at the age of 93.[14][15][better source needed]

Discography

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  • Bird Call (United Artists, 1962)
  • Lady Soul (Atco, 1963)
  • Now's the Time with Marian McPartland, Mary Osborne (Halcyon, 1977)

References

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  1. ^ a b Scott Yanow. "Allmusic: Vi Redd – Biography". Allmusic.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c James Nadal. "All About Jazz: Vi Redd – Biography". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Placksin, Sally (1982). "Vi Redd". American Women in Jazz: 1900 to the Present (First ed.). New York: Wideview Books. pp. 259–260. ISBN 9780872237605. OCLC 8280710.
  4. ^ Isoardi, Steven L. (2005). "Central Avenue Sounds: Vi Redd". Center for Oral History Research, University of California Los Angeles and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved May 31, 2015. Interviews from 1997 thru 1999.
  5. ^ Sherrie Tucker (Winter 1996–97). "West Coast Women: A Jazz Genealogy" (PDF). Pacific Review of Ethnomusicology. 8 (1): 10. ISSN 1096-1291. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  6. ^ Dahl, Linda (1984). Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazz Women (First ed.). New York: Pantheon Books. p. 250. ISBN 9780039453558. OCLC 10020976.
  7. ^ a b Yoko Suzuki (Spring 2013). "Invisible Woman: Vi Redd's Contributions as a Jazz Saxophonist". American Music Review. XLII (2). Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  8. ^ "Allmusic: Vi Redd – Bird Call". Allmusic.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  9. ^ "Allmusic: Vi Redd – Lady Soul". Allmusic.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  10. ^ "National Endowment for the Arts, Annual Report 1978" (PDF). arts.gov. September 1979. p. 31. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  11. ^ "National Endowment for the Arts, Annual Report 1980" (PDF). arts.gov. February 1981. p. 205. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  12. ^ "Los Angeles Jazz Society – Lifetime Achievement Award". lajazz.org. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  13. ^ "Mary Lou Williams Festival Features Females". JazzTimes. March 18, 2001. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  14. ^ "Elvira Louise Goldberg". Forever Missed. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  15. ^ "Thank you Nana for all that you did for me and our family". producedbyreality on Instagram. February 7, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2023.

Further reading

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Interviews
Publications
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