Jazz drummer George Reed dies

Drummer dies after long illness

Rich Chamberlain, Tue 11 Oct 2011, 2:00 pm BST

drum

© Ray McMahon/Corbis

Jazz drummer George Reed has died.

Reed, who backed jazz greats such as Charlie Parker and Buddy Tate, passed away at the weekend aged 89 after a long illness.

Howard Coleman, owner of the Green Pastures jazz club and a friend of Reed's told the Elmira Star Gezette: "He's a world-famous drummer. He's played all over the world with everybody.

"Great guy. Believes in giving young people a chance to play. He was the one that brought the young people into Green Pastures so they can learn to play in front of an audience when they're 8, 9, 10 years old."

Take a look at the video below to see George in action behind the kit in 2006.