Reynold David Philipsek (born December 8, 1952) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and poet. Career Philipsek began playing guitar at the age of 9 and joined the American Federation of Musicians labor union at the age of 14 (1967). At the age of 16, he wrote and recorded the single "Oval Portrait" with the band Cure of Ares. The song received enough mid-west regional radio airplay to garner an invitation to perform on the ABC Television show The Happening '69. From 1969 through 1971, Cure of Ares toured extensively throughout the midwest and recorded a second single called Sunshine. At the age of 18, Philipsek was exposed, through a radio broadcast, to gypsy jazz performed by Django Reinhardt. This proved to be a pivotal experience. At the age of 22 (1975), Philipsek received a private lesson and attended two workshops from jazz guitarist Joe Pass. During this same time period, he studied jazz guitar and The Complete Johnny Smith Approach to Guitar with Mike Elliott, a protégé of Johnny Smith. These experiences cemented Philipsek's lifelong interest in jazz. After leaving Cure of Ares, he played in bands in the midwest. In the 1990s he founded the band Reynold's Remarkable Rhythm Cattle and recorded the albums Uptown and Country (1990), What's Inside? (1991), and Memory Lane (1992). Beginning in 1989, Philipsek became primarily a solo act recording albums in pop, rock, jazz, and gypsy jazz on his label, Rephi Records. In the spring of 1980, Philipsek was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The diagnosis was particularly frightening for Philipsek as, at the time, treatments had not reached high survival rates. After undergoing chemotherapy for six months, he was declared free of the cancer. In 2005, Philipsek celebrated twenty-five years of a life free of cancer. He donated part of his earnings from the album 25 to the American Cancer Society. With that album, he began to concentrate on gypsy jazz. All the Things You Are (2010) and Tales from the North Woods (2011), include elements of gypsy jazz, bebop, Latin folk, modal jazz, and Slavic folk music informed by Philipsek's burgeoning interest in his Czech and Polish heritage. He has appeared at gypsy jazz festivals, jazz clubs, and concert venues including theGrand Marais Jazz Festival, Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival, Cedar Cultural Center, Dakota Jazz Club, and Artists' Quarter. He has worked with the bands East Side and Sidewalk Cafe.