Ann Reynolds

Ann Reynolds

No nonsense. Encouraged everyone, gave very good advice, to the group as a whole and to individuals. Always a consummate professional.

Suggested (what I found to be) very challenging charts. (Like the chord changes in Along Came Betty and Tune Up at a very fast pace). Did not back-off from the challenging tunes.

Ran the sessions very well. Keep people on track, no wasted time. Of course, she was always on time, and respectful of people’s time when the session ended.

Clear expectations. Consistent in her approach through the 10 weeks. It was always clear who was in charge and why she has successful bands of her own. It was also clear that she was instructing from a position of a great deal of knowledge, and that she would have more to say if we were more experienced/mature/sophisticated performers. She managed to move everyone forward even given a band with a wide range of experience and skill.

Selected the final tunes to play at the right time (not too early in the session but with enough time to really focus on them).

Finally, showed up at the performance, talked (encouragingly) to the band before the performance to focus everyone and then congratulated everyone afterwards. That goes a long way and is greatly appreciated by the band members.

Rick Palmer

Ann Reynolds is a composer, musician, and educator whose main instrument is the
piano. Her piano training began as a child and she pursued classical performance studies
at Mount Holyoke College. In 1986 Ann moved to Seattle and began a serious study of
jazz with private teachers in the Northwest. She was performing in my own groups and
in big bands by 1994. Her journey into Latin (Cuban) music began in 2000 and lead to
two CDs of her original Cuban compositions (Para Cuba Con Amor 2014 and Joy 2019
with her group Clave Gringa. In 2021 she recorded 4 jazz compositions “Inspired by
Women Composers” with her trio of Kelsey Mines (bass) and Christopher Icasiano
(drums). This recording was awarded the Earshot Golden Ear Award for best NW Jazz
Recording 2021.

Ann Reynolds

No nonsense. Encouraged everyone, gave very good advice, to the group as a whole and to individuals. Always a consummate professional.

Suggested (what I found to be) very challenging charts. (Like the chord changes in Along Came Betty and Tune Up at a very fast pace). Did not back-off from the challenging tunes.

Ran the sessions very well. Keep people on track, no wasted time. Of course, she was always on time, and respectful of people’s time when the session ended.

Clear expectations. Consistent in her approach through the 10 weeks. It was always clear who was in charge and why she has successful bands of her own. It was also clear that she was instructing from a position of a great deal of knowledge, and that she would have more to say if we were more experienced/mature/sophisticated performers. She managed to move everyone forward even given a band with a wide range of experience and skill.

Selected the final tunes to play at the right time (not too early in the session but with enough time to really focus on them).

Finally, showed up at the performance, talked (encouragingly) to the band before the performance to focus everyone and then congratulated everyone afterwards. That goes a long way and is greatly appreciated by the band members.

Rick Palmer