Reichenbach, Bill

Drummer. William Frank Reichenbach, III born December 18, 1923 in Washington, D.C.; died May 16, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

Father of trombonist Bill Reichenbach, Jr. and singer Kurt Reichenbach.

Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Toured with Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and with Art Mooney (1948). Reichenbach led groups at the Lotus nightclub and at Club Kavakos in 1954. He was active with Dixieland bands such as the Swanee Six in the late 1950s.

In 1962 he recorded the Jazz Samba album with Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd. He then joined Byrd’s trio and played with him for twelve years, touring internationally. He was a regular accompanist at Blues Alley in the 1970s and was reunited with Byrd in the 1980s. He moved to Los Angeles shortly before his death.

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