I just have to share this with you, my extended family. Ohio and the world lost a great Blues Sax Player this week. He was a wonder on a horn! I will miss him.
Dave

MAURICE REEDUS SR.
[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']MAURICE[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif'] BEGAN HIS AFFAIR WITH HIS HORN AT THE AGE OF 16. HE USE TO HEAR ILLINOIS JACQUET PLAYING ON THE JUKEBOX AND HE KNEW HE WANTED TO PLAY THE SAXOPHONE. ONE CHRISTMAS, IN 1946, HE WAS SURPRISED WITH THE GREATEST GIFT OF HIS LIFE. HIS MOTHER SACRIFICED HER HARD EARNED MONIES TO BUY HIM A SAXOPHONE FROM JACK EPSTEIN MUSIC SHOP ON PROSPECT AVENUE.[/font][/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']HAD SHE LIVED A LITTLE LONGER, SHE WOULD HAVE SMILED AND SAID I HAVE NO REGRETS. AS THE MAN, MAURICE AND HIS HORN BECAME HIS LIFESTYLE AND HIS PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATION. A BLIND MAN, WHO LIVED ON GREED COURT, STARTED HIM OFF WITH LESSONS. THE LESSONS WERE $1.50 AND $2.00. AT TIMES THE FAMILY DID NOT HAVE EVEN THAT MUCH TO EXPEND. HOWEVER, HE WOULD PRACTICE WHAT HE KNEW.[/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']HE ALSO ATTENDED THE CLEVELAND MUSIC SETTLEMENT ON MAGNOLIA DRIVE TO STUDY THEORY AND READING MUSIC. MAURICE JOINED THE U.S. ARMY IN 1950, AIRBORN DIVISION. HE PLAYED HIS SAX WHILE THERE IN THE SERVICE BAND AND HELD A CLERICAL POSITION. HE SERVED TIME IN GERMANY. AFTER THE STINT IN THE SERVICE HE JOINED THE BAND WITH GAY CROSS, WHO OWNED LAKE GLENN, OUT OF AKRON, OHIO. HE PLAYED WITH SCOTTIE FORD ALSO.[/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']MAURICE [FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']PLAYED THE WESTSIDE, CLEVELAND AREA AT THE BAND BOX. BIRDS TWIN BAR 1955-1960, TRAVELED WITH LONNIE WOODS TRIO. COOKIE (GEORGE COOK-BLIND DRUMMER), THEY TRAVELED FROM 1964-1969.[/font][/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']MAURICE[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif'] HAD BEEN FORTUNATE TO PLAY ALL STATES IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT THE DACOTA?S. THERE WAS NO BUSINESS THERE. HE HAS LIVED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, OMAHA, NEBRASKA, AND SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. HE STARTED PLAYING WITH ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR. IN THE 1970?S. THEIR FIRST RECORDING WAS IN 1972 (CONTRAST). HE AND ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR. WERE STILL FRIENDS UP UNTIL THE PASSING OF LOCKWOOD JR. NOVEMBER 21, 2006.[/font][/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']COUNTRIES TRAVELED ARE JAPAN A 13 HOUR FLIGHT IN 1985, 1988, AND 1990. EUROPEAN TOUR A 24 HOUR FLIGHT TRIP TO SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, AUSTRAILIA, ENGLAND, AND BELGIUM IN 1992, TWICE, SEVERAL CLUBS WITHIN THE LIMITED STATES AND CLEVELAND AREA. MAURICE PLAYED AT SEVERAL FESTIVALS, SAN FRANSICO FEST, CHICAGO FEST, MOHIGAN FEST, ARKANSAS FEST, TULSA FEST, NEW YORK FEST, POCONOS EVERY OTHER YEAR. THE MOST FORTUNATE PLACE TO PLAY WAS AT SEVERANCE HALL WITH ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR. IN 1990 AND AGAIN IN 2004. HE HAD NOT BEEN IN SEVERANCE HALL SINCE SCHOOL DAYS. HIS LONG ENGAGEMENTS HAVE BEEN HYDE PARK, CHOP HOUSE, AND CURRENTLY FAT FISH BLUE EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY.[/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']PEOPLE MAURICE HAD MET AND MUSICIANS ARE LIONEL HAMPTON, JULIAN BOND, CHUCK BERRY, JIMMIE SMITH, BILLY ECKSTEIN, BILL COSBY, WHEN HE PLAYED TENNIS AND BASKETBALL, DON HO, A HAWAIIAN SINGER AND ANNOUNCER. B.B. KING WAS IN TOWN IN NEBRASKA AND NEEDED A HORN PLAYER. MAURICE WAS REFERRED BY RUSTY BRYANT. LOU RAWLS, CARMEN MCRAE WHO HE MET WHEN HE PLAYED AT A CLUB DONALD KING HAD ON EAST 78TH STREET IN CLEVELAND, OHIO IN THE 60?S ALHAMBRA. HE HAD MET WILT CHAMBERLAIN, BOB GIBSON, MEADOWLARK LEMON IN DENVER, THE IMPRESSIONS, DIANAH WASHINGTON WHEN SHE PLAYED PIANO, THE SPINNERS, SONNY LISTON, REDD FOXX, MUDDY WATERS, SARAH VAUGHN, RUTH BROWN, NANCY WILSON, DIONNE WARWICK, ARTHUR PRYSOCK, BONNIE RAITT, SONNY STITT, MARQUES HAYNES AND CURLEY OF THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS, JIMMY BIVINS, JIMMY SMITH, SCREAMING JAY HAWKINS. MAURICE HAD PLAYED HIS SAX IN THE BACKYARD OF CARL B. STOKES FOR SEVERAL PARTIES WITH LOUIS STOKES ATTENDING. ANITA O?DAY, GENE AMMONS.[/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']MAURICE[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif'] HAD BEEN IN THE PRESENCE OF HALLE BERRY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AT THE HOME OF HER MOTHER AND SISTER HEIDI, IN SHEFFIELF LAKE, AND LORAIN, OHIO. CHARLIE PARKER IN 1947, MILES DAVIS AND RUBY DEE IN 1999, BROTHERS LOUNGE JIM BELUCHI AND DAN AKROYD (BLUES BROTHERS), AT THE OPENING OF THE HOUSE OF BLUES ON EAST 4TH STREET CLEVELAND, OHIO IN 2004. WAYNE NEWTON (WIFE HAS HER FAMILY HERE), JOHN TRAVOLTA AT HYDE PARK (HAS HIS FAMILY HERE ALSO), IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA HAROLD DOWN BLACK ON BLACK T.V. INTERVIEWING BLACK CLUBS AND COMMUNITIES (1977), O.J. SIMPSON OF BUFFALO BILLS ON THE SAME BILL WITH RAY CHARLES, OPENED TWICE FOR THE IMPRESSIONS.[/font][/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']March 7, 2004[/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']Update ? August 19, 2008[/FONT]

[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']MAURICE [FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif']PERFORMED WITH OTHER MUSICIANS AT LITTLE ITALY FEST 2007, HE ALSO PERFORMED ON STAGE AT LEGACY VILLAGE 2007. MAURICE PLAYED HIS HORN AT SEVERAL OTHER EVENTS EARLIER IN THE YEAR 2008 AND HOSTED ALONG WITH MUSICIAN RED TOP AT A WINE AND CHEESE FEST IN WILLOUGHBY, OHIO IN JUNE 2008.[/font][/FONT]