Freddie Redd

Freddie Redd (born May 29, 1928, New York City) is an American hard bop pianist and composer. After a period in the Army (1946-9) he worked with drummer Johnny Mills, and then in New York played with Tiny Grimes, Cootie Williams, Oscar Pettiford and the Jive Bombers. He toured Sweden in 1956 with Ernestine Anderson and Rolf Ericson. His greatest success came in the late 1950s in the play and movie The Connection, in which he both played and acted in New York City, London, and Paris. He also played on the soundtrack album. His success in the play did not help his career in the United States, however, and shortly after he moved to Europe. He returned to the United States in 1974. Although he has never been able to establish himself in the first rank of jazz figures, he has worked extensively with highly regarded musicians and recorded several albums as leader.