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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZEDWARDS, Teddy(b Theodore Marcus Edwards, 26 Feb. '24, Jackson MS; d 20 April 2003) Tenor sax, composer, leader. To the West Coast as a young man; there was always a lot more jazz being played there than the 'West Coast' or 'cool' school that was popular in the '50s, but although prominent there since the '40s, like Curtis Counce and others Edwards did not achieve as much national fame as he deserved, partly because unlike Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Dexter Gordon, Howard McGhee and others who began or worked there late '40s-early '50s, he kept California as his base. Almost all his recordings have been made there (except as noted). Worked many jazz concerts and festivals, wrote songs recorded by Jimmy Witherspoon, contributed to films Any Wednesday '66, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? '69. First own records '47-8 later issued on Onyx LPs The Foremost! and Central Avenue Breakdown, with Red Callender, Hampton Hawes, Benny Bailey, Addison Farmer, drummer Roy Porter among sidemen, including a track from a Dial date with Gordon. Recorded with Gerald Wilson, Witherspoon on Pacific Jazz; own LPs on that label '59 included Billy Higgins singing on 'Me And My Lover'. Then Teddy's Ready '60, Together Again! with McGhee and Good Gravy '61, Heart And Soul '62, all on Contemporary. Back To Avalon on Contemporary was an octet date not issued until '97; Nothin' But The Truth '66 and It's Alright '67 were on Prestige (made in NYC), Feelin's '74 on Muse, The Inimitable '76 on Xanadu (NYC), Out Of This World '80 on Steeplechase (Copenhagen). He also recorded with Benny Goodman on Capitol, Milt Jackson on Impulse, Jimmy Smith on Verve, Sarah Vaughan on Mainstream etc. Mississippi Lad '91 on Antilles got some useful publicity with vocalist Tom Waits in the cast, followed by Blue Saxophone '93 on that label; Tango In Harlem recorded '94 for Verve was a trio set, with just Billy Higgins on drums and Christian McBride on bass: utterly lovely. |