Ray Reach

Ray Reach (b. August 3, 1948) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist residing in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a member of several active performing groups, including the Magic City Jazz Orchestra ([1]), the Night Flight Big Band ([2]) and Cleve Eaton and the Alabama All-Stars ([3]). From 1998 to 2005, he was Director of Jazz Ensembles at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and is presently Director of Student Jazz Programs at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame ([4]). Reach is also a faculty member of the W.C. Handy Jazz Camp, and a regular featured performer at the W.C. Handy Music Festival ([5]). In addition, Reach directs the "Fun With Jazz" Educational Program ([6]), which was originated through the Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts. He has performed with and arranged for numerous notable jazz musicians, including Clark Terry ([7]), Lou Marini ([8]), Ellis Marsalis, Jr. ([9]), Cleveland Eaton and Lew Soloff ([10]). Reach is also an active producer of recordings, with clients including choral composer K. Lee Scott ([11]), jazz guitarist Eric Essix and the Night Flight Big Band, Lou Marini and the Magic City Jazz Orchestra ([12]), and Ellis Marsalis with the SuperJazz Big Band. Reach's versatile jazz piano and vocal stylings draw from influences such as Bill Evans ([13]), Oscar Peterson ([14]), Chick Corea ([15]), Frank Sinatra ([16]) and Johnny Hartman ([17]). He attended Minor High School in Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College, the University of Montevallo and the University of Alabama among others.