He also led his own groups with musicians like John Coltrane and especially the drummer "Philly" Joe Jones, who became his best friend. "Philly" Joe Jones was the drummer of the first "Great" Miles Davis Quintet and one of the most influential jazz drummers of all time. In the 1980s he founded the “Dameronia” ensemble, which was dedicated to the classic and timeless work of Dameron.

Drummer Bernd Reiter studied in Graz and New York and after several years in Munich he now lives in Paris. He was awarded several prizes, including the Hans Koller Prize, the Austrian Jazz Prize, in 2006, and has already worked with many international jazz greats.