Career History
Lucy Reed was a pioneering jazz vocalist whose distinctive phrasing, subtle timing, and emotionally rich interpretations made her a vital figure in the American jazz scene spanning six decades. Known for her sensitive readings of complex harmonies and lyrics, Reed left a lasting impression on both critics and musicians of her era.
Early Career
Born in Marshfield, Wisconsin in 1921, Lucy Reed’s musical talent became apparent in her youth where she sang on a weekly radio show for two years while in high school. She developed her craft while working in radio and signing with local regional bands across the Midwest.
In the early 1940s, she performed with Jerry Salone‘s 14 piece swing band where she met her young jazz drummer husband Joey DeRidder. Their shared artistic path was tragically cut short when DeRidder was killed in action during World War II. The loss marked a deeply pivotal turning point in Reed’s life, and her vocal style would come to reflect the quiet emotional depth of personal experience.
Her career gained traction again in the late 1940s while performing in Duluth, Minnesota when she was asked by Woody Herman to join his band Woody Herman and his All Stars for a tour of Canada—a testament to her compelling stage presence and vocal talent. Upon completion of that tour, she toured with Charlie Ventura’s Big Band, eventually landing in Chicago when they disbanded.
Chicago in the 1950s
Settling in Chicago in the early 1950s, Reed sang regularly on radio and television and became a fixture in the city’s vibrant jazz club scene. She regularly performed at renowned venues such as the Black Orchid, Brass Rail, Blue Note, Streamliner and the legendary Mr. Kelly’s including perfoming withDuke Ellington. Reed built a loyal following and earned the respect of peers for her cool, intimate vocal ballads and her playful swinging “up-tunes.”
She enjoyed a near cult following for two years at the Lei Aloha club where she performed with pianist Dick Marx and bassist Johnny Frigo. “Have you heard Lucy,” was the question asked every jazz traveler, and, if the answer were no, anything, including a finely detailed map, was done to get you there.
It was during this period that a young Bill Evans, stationed at the nearby Great Lakes Naval Base became a regular in her audience. Evans began sitting in with her at her Chicago performances and their artistic connection blossomed.
New York Jazz Rooms – 1955
Invited to sing at the iconic Village Vanguard in New York City, Lucy moved there for a year with her young son in 1955, living at the legendary Chelsea Hotel. Accompanied by Bill Evans at the Vanguard, they also played together at The Blue Angel—two of the most prestigious jazz rooms in the country.
While in New York, Saul Zaentz of Fantasy Records approached Lucy about recording what would become her first full album. She insisted on the inclusion of Evans for what would become her first full-length album The Singing Reed, even though he was still a relatively unknown talent. Their musical friendship would leave a lasting imprint on the history of American jazz music.
Recognizing Bill Evans’ unique harmonic voice, Reed bridged an introduction to her friend, the now famous jazz arranger George Russell.
Russell admitted he’d been skeptical when Lucy first introduced the quiet, withdrawn pianist.
“Plain-looking fella, very quiet, very withdrawn … this is going to be like pulling teeth all day.”
But after hearing him play in Russell’s single room apartment furnished with a bed an ironing board and a piano, George was stunned.
“It was one of those magic moments in your life when you expect a horror story, and the doors of heaven open up—I knew there and then he wasn’t going to get away.”
Evans would go on to perform on Russell’s landmark Jazz Workshop recording, a pivotal chapter in modern jazz—one that traces directly back to Reed’s musical instincts.
Recordings and Recognition
In 1955, Lucy Reed recorded most of The Singing Reed (Fantasy Records), with arrangements by Gil Evans and accompaniment from several top-tier musicians including Bill Evans. She recorded the remaining tracks in Chicago in 1957. The album revealed Reed’s mastery of understated yet emotionally potent performance, earning praise for its intelligence, clarity, and natural phrasing. A second album, This Is Lucy Reed, followed in 1957, showcasing her ability to bring subtle emotional shading to a collection of little-known songs. Reed always took pride in unearthing song gems that told poignantly faceted stories of life in the glory of its emotional range.
Critics took notice. Nat Hentoff described her as “a singer of quiet power,” while DownBeat magazine praised her for a “rare ability to communicate without ever overstating.” Though often associated with the cool jazz movement and compared to contemporaries like June Christy and Chris Connor, Reed’s style was uniquely her own—calm but expressive, intelligent but heartfelt. June Christy was known to have called Lucy her favorite singer, “a singer’s singer.”
“I never sing,” Lucy told Down Beat’s Don Gold, “anything that doesn’t kill me when I hear it… I feel I go home as tired as a horn player, because I’m so closely linked, emotionally speaking, to the tunes I do. I find songs that mean so much to me, too, because I’ve had experience. The tunes are meaningful to me because I’ve lived them.”
Return to Chicago and Later Career
Lucy remarried in Chicago in 1957 to photographer Serge Seymour and raised two more sons. She continued in Chicago for the remainder of her musical career, singing regularly in jazz clubs including the Black Orchid, Jazz Showcase and the main stage at the Chicago Jazz Festival. She shared countless musical collaborations with a lifetime of top musicians she was proud to call her friends including George Shearing, Anita O’Day, Carmen McRae, Ray Brown, Sammy Davis, Jr., Hadda Brooks, Audrey Morris, Oscar Brown, Jr., Lurlene Hunter, Frank D’Rone and so many more.
Reed returned to the studio to record one final album: Basic Reeding, released in 1994, this time on the Audiophile label. Enlisting jazz greats Ray Brown, Herb Ellis and Larry Novak, the recording captures her signature understated style and mature emotional depth, offering a moving testament to her lifelong artistry. Sensitive and intimate though at times playful, the album reaffirmed her gift for storytelling, returning the personal to the song.
Until the very end of her career, Lucy Reed remained a vital figure in jazz circles, particularly in Chicago, where her performances left lasting impressions on musicians and audiences alike.
She passed away at her home in 1998 where a coterie of some of her dearest Chicago musical friends gathered for a musical sendoff on her final day.
Her recordings continue to captivate listeners and influence vocalists to this day. Today, her recordings are cherished by collectors and connoisseurs for their subtlety, sophistication, and honesty. She remains a revered figure in the story of jazz.
“As Lucy Reed sings and gently swings, it all comes back. How long ago was it I first heard Lucy sing? The fifties had just begun and the lyrics of songs had really counted for something. To me and others seated around the bar, long buried feelings were tapped. Sure, the music was there, but those words got you: bittersweet one moment, ebullient the next. It took a certain kind of singer to put them forth with the grace they deserved. Lucy was one of them. When she sang Love For Sale, we felt for the girl who was selling it. We knew and understood her. And when she sang Inchworm, the world was young again. And so were we.”
~ Studs Terkel – American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster