Teddy Edwards

{{Short description|American jazz saxophonist (1924–2003)}}

{{distinguish|text=the American singer and songwriter, Teddy Edwards (recording artist)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Teddy Edwards

| image = Teddy Edwards.jpg

| caption = Edwards at Koncepts Kultural Gallery, Oakland, California, 1980s

| birth_name = Theodore Marcus Edwards

| birth_date = {{birth date|1924|4|26}}

| birth_place = Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|4|20|1924|4|26}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| genre = Jazz

| occupation = Musician

| instrument = Tenor saxophone

| years_active = 1947–2001

}}

Theodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Biography

Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States.{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-580-8|pages=129/130}} He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone and then clarinet.

His uncle sent for him to come to Detroit to live because he felt opportunities were better. Due to illness in the family, he went back to Jackson and ventured to Alexandria, Louisiana. He was persuaded by Ernie Fields to join his band after going to Tampa, Florida. Edwards had planned to go to New York City, but Fields convinced him he could get there by way of Washington, D.C., if he worked with his band. Edwards ended up at the "Club Alabam" on Central Avenue in Los Angeles, which later became his city of residence.

Edwards played with many jazz musicians, including his personal friend Charlie Parker, Roy Milton, Wynonie Harris, Vince Guaraldi, Joe Castro and Ernie Andrews. A 1947 recording with Dexter Gordon, The Duel, was an early challenge to another saxophonist, an approach he maintained whenever possible, including a recording with Houston Person. One such duel took place in the 1980s at London's 100 Club with British tenor Dick Morrissey.{{Cite web |date=April 27, 2003 |title=Teddy Edwards |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1428531/Teddy-Edwards.html |url-access=subscription |website=The Telegraph}} In 1964, Edwards played with Benny Goodman at Disneyland, and at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Edwards performed and recorded with Tom Waits. He toured with him on the Heart Attack and Vine tour, and played to a packed Victoria Apollo in London with Waits and bassist Greg Cohen (the drummer had apparently been left behind after some dispute). The 1991 album, Mississippi Lad, featured two tracks with Waits, and Waits covers the Edwards-written ballad "Little Man" on his Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards collection.

He died in Los Angeles of prostate cancer, with which he had been diagnosed in 1994, at the age of 78.{{Cite web |last=Keepnews |first=Peter |date=April 23, 2003 |title=Teddy Edwards, 78, Deft Star Of Los Angeles Jazz Scene |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/23/arts/teddy-edwards-78-deft-star-of-los-angeles-jazz-scene.html |accessdate=July 26, 2021 |website=The New York Times}}{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sXrGCwAAQBAJ&q=Teddy+Edwards | title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2003: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture| isbn=9780786452088| date=2008-10-24| publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers}}

Discography

=As leader/co-leader=

class="wikitable"

|+

!Year

!Title

!Label

!Notes

1947

|The Foremost!

| rowspan="3" |Onyx

|With Dexter Gordon. Shared various artists LP with Leo Parker and Wardell Gray.

1948

|Central Avenue Breakdown, Vol. 1

|Shared various artists LP with Vivien Garry/Arv Garrison and Dodo Marmarosa

1949

|Central Avenue Breakdown, Vol. 2

|Shared various artists LP with Barney Kessel and Slim Gaillard

1958

|Sonny Rollins at Music Inn/Teddy Edwards at Falcon's Lair

|MetroJazz

|With Joe Castro. Split album featuring Sonny Rollins tracks.

1959

|It's About Time

|Pacific Jazz

|With Les McCann

rowspan="3" |1960

|Sunset Eyes

|Pacific Jazz; reissued on Blue Note

|

Teddy's Ready!

| rowspan="5" |Contemporary

|

Back to Avalon

|

rowspan="2" |1961

|Together Again!!!!

|With Howard McGhee

Good Gravy!

|

1962

|Heart & Soul

|

1966

|Nothin' But the Truth!

| rowspan="2" |Prestige

|

1967

|It's All Right!

|

1974

|Feelin's

|Muse

|

1976

|The Inimitable Teddy Edwards

|Xanadu

|

rowspan="2" |1979

|Young at Heart

| rowspan="2" |Storyville

| rowspan="2" |With McGhee

Wise in Time
1980

|Out of This World

|SteepleChase

|

1981

|Good Gravy

|Timeless

|Live

1991

|Mississippi Lad

| rowspan="4" |Verve/Gitanes

|Featuring Tom Waits

1993

|Blue Saxophone

|

1994

|La Villa: Live in Paris

|

1995

|Tango in Harlem

|

1996

|Horn to Horn

|Muse

|With Houston Person

1997

|Midnight Creeper

| rowspan="2" |HighNote

|

rowspan="2" |1999

|Close Encounters

|With Person

Sunset Eyes 2000

|Laroo

|With Saskia Laroo

rowspan="2" |2000

|Ladies Man

|HighNote

|

The Legend of Teddy Edwards

|Cope

|Soundtrack

2003

|Smooth Sailing

|HighNote

|

=As sideman=

With Frank Butler

With Joe Castro

With Sonny Criss

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

With Milt Jackson

With King Pleasure

With Hank Jones

With Julie London

With Shelly Manne

With Les McCann

With Howard McGhee

  • West Coast 1945-1947 (Uptown, 2014)

With Freddie Redd

With Max Roach and Clifford Brown

With Jimmy Smith

With Leroy Vinnegar

With Randy Weston and Melba Liston

With Gerald Wilson

References

{{Reflist}}