ArtistInfo

David Reece

p, ep, org, *1928
Musician / Arranger of Jazz, Folk and World

Born August 28, 1928, David Reece was a native of Jonesville, NC. A multi-talented individual, he had a lovely baritone voice, was an excellent pianist, an exceptional arranger, a gifted songwriter, and one of the funniest men in gospel music. Reece played for many of the major quartets in Southern Gospel Music including the Blue Ridge Quartet, the Rangers Quartet, the Imperial Sugar Quartet, the Harvesters Quartet, Stamps Ozark Quartet and the Deep South Quartet. In the late 1950s, Reece formed the supreme male trio, the Rangers Trio. Their exceptionally smooth sound was built around David’s rich baritone voice and his understated piano technique, and many of the group’s performances were Reece’s compositions. His recording, “Musical Meditations” was one of the first instrumental albums to be released by a gospel music artist. Using all of David’s skills to perfection, the Rangers Trio became the standard by which other trios were judged. In addition to the popular gospel songs of the day, the Rangers Trio also performed some novelty songs that became standards for the group. One such song was “The Mockingbird,” a crowd favorite for as long as the Rangers performed. David co-authored the well-known Jimmie Davis song, “So Many Reasons.” After a long career in gospel music, Reece worked in the secular entertainment field both as a musician with Mel Tillis and writer of comedy for artists including the beloved Minnie Pearl. ********************** When the name "David Reece" is mentioned, many things come to mind. Comedian, entertainer, arranger, pianist, singer, and songwriter are just a few. David played for several major quartets including the Blue Ridge Quartet, the Rangers Quartet, the Stamps-Ozark Quartet, the Imperial Sugar Quartet, the Harvesters Quartet, and the Deep South Quartet. His association with the Rangers Quartet led him to form the quintessential trio in gospel music history, the Rangers Trio. This trio set the standard by which all other gospel trios will be judged. He also recorded one of the first (if not the first) instrumental albums by a gospel artist, "Musical Meditations." Greater Vision performed one of David’s best loved arrangements, "Life Will Be Sweeter Someday" in his honor and David’s son DaNeel and his brother, Leon accepted the award for the late Mr. Reece. It was most fitting that Leon accepted the award in character of "Willie P. Potts" which was made famous by his brother.

Instruments

• Piano
• Electric piano
• Organ

Genres

• Jazz
• Folk
• World

Plays With