Rufus Ried's work is a virtual catalog of modern bass technique, tempered by his infallible musicianship. The man has taste...he consistently offers up an earthy tone, flawless intonation, and fluid finger work. Plus, you can set the clock by his impeccable time.” (DownBeat). Born in 1944 in Atlanta and raised in Sacramento, California, where he played the trumpet in school, Rufus Reid graduated from Northwestern University with a performance degree in double bass, having studied with Warren Benfield and Joseph Guastefeste of the Chicago Symphony. Reid has an extensive catalogue of recordings, eighteen of which are under his own name. Of “Hues of a Different Blue” (Motema, 2011)—which includes his composition “The Eloquent One”—Mark Keresman of Jazz Inside magazine wrote: “‘Hues’ should be considered a sterling, definitive exemplar of what an ideal jazz album should be—fabulous musicianship in service of the music, expansive tunes played with succinctness and restraint and variety.” Here he talks with professor Ingrid Monson about work and naming as the 2016 Harvard Jazz Master in Residence.