Waymon Reed

Waymon Reed (January 10, 1940, Fayetteville, North Carolina - November 25, 1983, Nashville, Tennessee) was an American jazz trumpeter. While he was principally a bebop soloist, he also worked in R&B.^[1]

Career

Reed attended the Eastman School of Music and then played R&B with groups such as that of Ira Sullivan. He joined James Brown's band from 1965 to 1969, where he played on hits such as "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". Following his tenure with Brown he joined Count Basie's band from 1969 to 1973. In 1968, Reed's daughter, Keelon, was born in Houston, Texas. Following her birth, Reed worked with the big bands of Frank Foster and Thad Jones-Mel Lewis. He returned to play with Basie again in 1977-78. He married Sarah Vaughan and worked with her extensively in 1978-80, but shortly afterwards they divorced. He played on B.B. King's album There Must Be a Better World Somewhere in 1981. Reed died of cancer in 1983.

His one album as leader features tenor-saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Keter Betts and drummer Bobby Durham.^[2]