The son of a silent film pianist, 93-year old Reece attended Alpha Boys School along with classmates Joe Harriot and Wilton 'Bogey' Gaynair and became the only Jamaican contracted with the legendary jazz label Blue Note Records.
At the age of sixteen, Reece was playing with Jack Brown’s Swing Stars in Kingston. At the age of 17, he was onboard the HMT Empire Windrush, heading to England. Reece emerged within London's burgeoning bebop jazz scene during the 1950s and went on to become a leading proponent of hard bop jazz in New York.
In addition to his work with Blue Nite, throughout the 1960s and 1970s Reece was also a sideman on recordings by Duke Jordan, Hank Mobley, Andrew Hill, Dexter Gordon, Philly Joe Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clifford Jordan among others. Watch Dizzy at the Vanguard in New York City with the Cedar Walton Quintet.
FONT, a non-profit, based in New York City, has commissioned and presented new music from a diverse community of trumpet and brass players, through a series of performances and workshops. In 2023, FONT awarded Dizzy Reece with its 2024 Award of Recognition.