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The bassist
Dean Reilly is something of a fixture on the San Francisco scene, a tasty and unobtrusive player who is likely to be found backing up some of the city's better jazz vocalists, such as
Weslia Whitfield or
Sherri Roberts. Beginning in the late '50s,
Reilly was bassist with several groups that characterized a certain aspect of the San Francisco mainstream jazz sound, including the combos of
Vince Guaraldi,
Cal Tjader, and the underrated guitarist
Eddie Duran. For a good chunk of the '60s he became the bassist with the
Kingston Trio, during that decade one of the most busy touring bands in the world. Perhaps he was searching for some music that was even lighter than what he was already playing, but most likely he was just on the prowl for a steady paycheck. He learned music from his father, the pianist James Reilly, Sr., and began by playing trumpet. After a few years, he switched to the bass and eventually settled into a busy performing schedule that included classical music as well as the aforementioned jazz and folk, taking full advantage of the diversity of the Bay Area scene as well as the fact that many performing artists travel out there to play and pick up rhythm sections upon arriving. He has played off and on as a member of the
California Symphony as well as with artists such as folksinger
Leon Bib, the gospelish
Gateway Singers, jazz piano genius
Earl Hines, the jazz vocal duo of
Jackie and Roy, French crooner
Maurice Chevalier, supreme vocalists
Carmen McRae and
Anita O'Day, jazz trumpeter
Art Farmer, and saxophonist
Stan Getz, and even a fill-in date with pianist and composer
Thelonious Monk, bound to push the limits of knowledge for any bassist. When bassist "Buck" Wheat vamoosed from the
Kingston Trio in 1961,
Reilly was the replacement and remained with the group until its dissolution in 1967, playing on all the group's records following the
Something Special album. "It's a good job"
Reilly said of the engagement in an interview. "To play enjoyable music, make good money and have absolutely no pressures is a rare thing, Jones,"
Reilly continued, concluding with a bit of beatnik slang that is most likely quite a bit hipper than any of the music the group itself played. While the
Kingston Trio was inexplicably often described by journalists as having a "hep sound" during the wimpy group's tenure, listeners wanting to hear
Reilly in a more swinging and creative setting will probably want to check out the overlapping playing relationship between
Guaraldi and
Duran, longtime associates on the San Francisco music scene who found that
Reilly fit perfectly into their various groups. Particularly recommended is the
Guaraldi trio album entitled
A Flower Is a Lonesome Thing, first released in 1957. A bit less than half a century later,
Reilly was regarded as an elder statesman of the San Francisco scene, working in the
Sherri Roberts band alongside pianist Alan Steger, drummer
Jim Zimmerman and saxophonist Harvey Robb. He also plays regularly with
Whitfield, with whom he has recorded three compact discs. ~ Eugene Chadbourne