The Undiscovered: Kim Reith Trio

Guitarist Kim Reith gets a great chance to display her fluent jazz chops on her trio's recent CD release BAIL!. Featuring Reith on hollow-body electric guitar, Kevin Green on drums and Bruce Grafrath on acoustic bass, the album offers nine original jazz numbers and an arrangement of Thelonius Monk's "Epistrophy". Built on a bebop foundation, tunes such as the opener "Gargantua" deliver melodic, jazzy flourishes set off by alternative streams of electric jazz guitar experimentation. Reith likes to push into new territory, as cuts such as "Kindergarten" and the title tune amply demonstrate. Never letting the listener settle into complacency, the trio reveals bass solos, harmonic twists and other surprises to keep things interesting. Bail! is a great find for fans of bebop jazz, and guitar fans who wish to expand their musical palates.

Kim began studying guitar in 1985 with bebop guitarist Marlena Teich, then later studied privately with Duncan James and Art Johnson. From 1996 through 1998 she formally studied jazz theory, composing and arranging with Rick Helzer at SDSU. Kim briefly flirted with the punk scene in her early years before concentrating on jazz in 1987. In 1992 she supported herself by playing solo jazz guitar on the streets of Paris; since 1993 Kim has been performing with jazz duos and trios throughout San Diego. Since recording BAIL! in 1999, she first focused on solo jazz guitar performance and composition, and now plays in solo, duo and trio settings in the Los Angeles area.

Reith's future plans revolve around performing with her trio and continuing to write and explore music. She has three areas of interest: solo guitar chord-melody, creative jazz composition for the small ensemble and outside improvisation.

Kim Reith
United States

Web site: www.kimreith.com