Vi Redd, although greatly under-recorded throughout her career, was a passionate bop-based altoist and an exciting singer. The daughter of drummer Alton Redd, Vi was surrounded by music while growing up. She played locally, working outside of music for the board of education during 1957-1960 before returning to jazz. Redd played in Las Vegas in 1962, was with Earl Hines in 1964, and led a group in San Francisco in the mid-'60s with her husband, drummer Richie Goldberg. Among her other associations were Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie (1968), and Count Basie. In 1969 Vi Redd settled in Los Angeles where she gigged locally on an occasional basis while being busy as an educator. She led albums for United Artists (1962) and Atco (1962-1963), and later appeared on the Gene Ammons/Dexter Gordon duo album The Chase! (1970) and Marian McPartland's Now's the Time (1977). ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
