Reuben Reeves was a jazz trumpeter who stood out in the late 1920s. However, his fame soon faded. He moved to New York after playing in the Midwest. Reeves moved to Chicago the following year and became a member Erskine Tate’s orchestra in 1926. Reeves recorded with Fess and collaborated with Dave Peyton from 1928-1930. But, he was most famous for leading a series record dates with his Tributaries in 1929 and his River Boys. Sidemen included Gerald Reeves, his brother on trombone, and Omer Simeon, the great clarinetist. Reuben Reeves was an extrovert with a style that was somewhat similar to Roy Eldridge’s a few years later. Reeves played with Cab Calloway’s Orchestra from 1931-1932. He then returned to Chicago in 1933 and organized the River Boys for one last session. Reeves toured with his own band from 1933-1935. He freelanced for a while, was a member of the Army’s World War II Army band, and joined Harry Dial’s Blusicians in 1946. His final years were spent largely outside of music. All of Reuben Reeves recordings as a leader are available on an RST CD. Allmusic
