Guitar:“Wednesday Funk”, “The harder we fight (the sweeter the love)”
Reggie and I met when Fred Wesley asked me to join his band in 2009 for some gigs in the Netherlands and France. I fell in love with his playing instantly. He’s an incredible rhythm guitar player, constantly working on finding the spaces and making it even more funky all the time, glueing it together, constantly working on that band sound. Ears wide open and playing what’s needed. When it’s time to solo, he rocks it! Within playing what I think is jazzy funk or funky jazz with Fred, he adds some blues to it.
During that tour I got to stand next to him and I heard every single note. I almost would have wanted to sit down in the audience and watch him play but I had even the honor to play WITH him. Then I saw a Bobby Byrd show on tv, Bobby Byrd I unfortunately never saw live. So there's this concert video and I thought.. hey, that guitar player really looks and sounds like Reggie, and yes, it was him! here's a feature (at around 16min)
And he also has been playing with The S.O.S. Band since many years, and especially the last years since they are touring again. Here's not my favourite version but at least he's visible and announced clearly:
Reggie Ward Facebook Page "Reggie Ward (born in Albany, living in Atlanta, Georgia) has played with and recorded with some of the top entertainers in the business. This includes The S.O.S.Band, the legendary organist Mr. Jimmy Smith, Charlie Wilson (Gap Band), Speech (Arrested Development), Fred Wesley, Dallas Auston, Sleepy Brown, Organize Noize, Chante Moore, Kenny Latimore, and Darryl Simmons."
This is a tune called Kalunga Dance, from my latest album Dark Horse, order it here or buy it at a concert, the next one is Brebl, Nijmegen 1 day after my birthday on 16th of April! Hope to see you there!In this performance, we featured percussionist/vocalist and world citizen Helene Jank. She lived and worked in Brazil for quite a while and I really think it's audible here. I love the way she and the band creates this moment of space within the concert and this is also why - I think - visiting concerts is important because then you get to experience the whole context of the concert. How is the program build up, how does the audience respond and what does music makes you feel. More info:Susanne Alt: sax, Matthijs Geerts and Ike van Bergen: keys, Thomas Pol: bass, Yoràn Vroom: drums, Helene Jank: percussion Performed at 16th of January 2026 at Bimhuis, Amsterdam, Recorded by Onno Prillwitz Filmed by Robert Glass and Albert Nooij. - Guitar:“Wednesday Funk”, “The harder we fight (the sweeter the love)”Reggie and I met when Fred Wesley asked me to join his band in 2009 for some gigs in the Netherlands and France. I fell in love with his playing instantly. He’s an incredible rhythm guitar player, constantly working on finding the spaces and making it even more funky all the time, glueing it together, constantly working on that band sound. Ears wide open and playing what’s needed. When it’s time to solo, he rocks it! Within playing what I think is jazzy funk or funky jazz with Fred, he adds some blues to it. During that tour I got to stand next to him and I heard every single note. I almost would have wanted to sit down in the audience and watch him play but I had even the honor to play WITH him.Then I saw a Bobby Byrd show on tv, Bobby Byrd I unfortunately never saw live. So there's this concert video and I thought.. hey, that guitar player really looks and sounds like Reggie, and yes, it was him! here's a feature (at around 16min)And he also has been playing with The S.O.S. Band since many years, and especially the last years since they are touring again.Here's not my favourite version but at least he's visible and announced clearly:Reggie Ward Facebook PageReggie Ward (born in Albany, living in Atlanta, Georgia) has played with and recorded with some of the top entertainers in the business. This includes The S.O.S.Band, the legendary organist Mr. Jimmy Smith, Charlie Wilson (Gap Band), Speech (Arrested Development), Fred Wesley, Dallas Auston, Sleepy Brown, Organize Noize, Chante Moore, Kenny Latimore, and Darryl Simmons.
