Dr. Reynolds performs frequently with his own groups, the John Reynolds Jazz Quintet and the Gaslamp Quarter Jazz Orchestra. He has performed with jazz legends including John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Gerald Clayton, Rickey Woodard, Graham Dechter, Jackie Ryan, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Bobby Shew, Frank Mantooth, Gilbert Castellanos, Marshall Hawkins, and many others. In 2016, the SoCal Jazz Society recognized Dr. Reynolds as the “Jazz Educator of the Year,” and SDSU awarded him “Outstanding Alumnus of the Year.”
Dr. Reynolds created and directed the jazz studies program at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, where he was presented with the Artistic Growth Award in recognition of his exceptional work. Dr. Reynolds is a consultant for Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he serves as a guest artist, clinician, and adjudicator for regional Essentially Ellington festivals across the country.