Theodore Marcus Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
tenor saxophonist.
Biography
Edwards was born in
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...
, United States. He learned to play at a very early age, first on
alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...
and then
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
.
His uncle sent for him to come to
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
to live because he felt opportunities were better. Due to illness in the family, he went back to Jackson and ventured to
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the prin ...
. He was persuaded by
Ernie Fields
Ernest Lawrence Fields (August 28, 1904 – May 11, 1997)Laprarie, Michael Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' (accessed May 14, 2010). was an American trombonist, pianist, arranger and bandleader. He first became known for leadin ...
to join his band after going to
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
. Edwards had planned to go to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, but Fields convinced him he could get there by way of
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, if he worked with his band. Edwards ended up at the "Club Alabam" on Central Avenue in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, which later became his city of residence.
Edwards played with many jazz musicians, including his personal friend
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...
,
Roy Milton
Roy Bunny Milton (July 31, 1907 – September 18, 1983) was an American R&B and jump blues singer, drummer and bandleader.
Career
Milton's grandmother was Chickasaw. He was born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and grew up on an Indian reservation bef ...
,
Wynonie Harris
Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter and rhythm-and-blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ...
,
Vince Guaraldi
Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; birth name, né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this s ...
Ernie Andrews
Ernest Mitchell Andrews Jr. (December 25, 1927 – February 21, 2022) was an American jazz, blues, and pop singer.
Life and career
Andrews was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Los Angeles, and is said to have been discovered by ...
. A 1947 recording with
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...
, '' The Duel'', was an early challenge to another saxophonist an approach he maintained whenever possible, including a recording with
Houston Person
Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ...
. One such duel took place in the 1980s at London's 100 Club with British tenor
Dick Morrissey
Richard Edwin Morrissey (9 May 1940 – 8 November 2000) was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute.
Biography Background
He was born in Horley, Surrey, England. Dick Morrissey emerg ...
. In 1964, Edwards played with
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
at
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
, and at the
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair was a world's fair that held over 140 pavilions and 110 restaurants, representing 80 nations (hosted by 37), 24 US states, and over 45 corporations with the goal and the final result of building exhibits or ...
.
Edwards performed and recorded with
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
. He toured with him on the Heart Attack and Vine tour, and played to a packed Victoria Apollo in London with Waits and a bassist (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
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
, with which he had been diagnosed in 1994, at the age of 78.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
*1947 ''The Foremost!'' – with
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...
(Onyx #201; shared various artists LP with
Leo Parker
Leo Parker (April 18, 1925 – February 11, 1962) was an American jazz musician, who primarily played baritone saxophone.
Early life
Born in Washington, D.C., Parker studied alto saxophone in high school and played this instrument on a record ...
and
Wardell Gray
Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods.
Biography
Early years
Gray was born in Oklahoma City, the youngest of four children. He spent his early chil ...
)
*1948 ''Central Avenue Breakdown, Vol. 1'' (Onyx #212; shared various artists LP with
Vivien Garry
Vivien Garry (1920 – December 1, 2008) was a jazz bassist. She led the Vivien Garry Quintet (which, on at least one date, included Edna Williams of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm on trumpet and Ginger Smock on violin) and the Vivien Ga ...
Dodo Marmarosa
Michael "Dodo" Marmarosa (December 12, 1925 – September 17, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger.
Originating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Marmarosa became a professional musician in his mid-teens, and toured with several ...
)
*1949 ''Central Avenue Breakdown, Vol. 2'' (Onyx #215; shared various artists LP with
Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups a ...
Sonny Rollins
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...
Pacific Jazz
Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record company and label best known for cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded in 1952 by producer Richard Bock (1927–1988) and drummer Roy Harte (1924–2003). Harte, in 1954, also co-founded ...
; reissued on
Blue Note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...
Contemporary
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
)
*1960 ''
Back to Avalon
''Back to Avalon'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. Released in 1988, it yielded the hit singles " Nobody's Fool (Theme from ''Caddyshack II'')" (a #8 hit in the U.S.), "I'm Gonna Miss You", "Tell Her", and ...
'' (Contemporary)
*1961 ''
Together Again!!!!
''Together Again!!!!'' is an album by trumpeter Howard McGhee and saxophonist Teddy Edwards which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Contemporary Records, Contemporary label.Howard McGhee
Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger beb ...
(Contemporary)
*1961 ''
Good Gravy!
''Good Gravy!'' is an album by saxophonist Teddy Edwards which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Contemporary label.
Prestige
Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.)
Prestige may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Films
* ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
Tango in Harlem
''Tango in Harlem'' is an album by saxophonist Teddy Edwards recorded in 1995 and originally released on the French Verve Records, Verve/Gitanes label the following year.Horn to Horn'' (Muse) with
Houston Person
Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ...
HighNote
HighNote Records is a jazz record company and label founded by Joe Fields with his son, Barney Fields, in 1997.
Joe Fields worked for Prestige Records in the 1960s, and in the 1970s founded Muse Records. After he sold Muse, he started the Highn ...
Ladies Man
A ladies' man or lady's man is a man who enjoys spending time socially with women, who strives to please them and that women find attractive.
Ladies' man or lady's man may also refer to:
Literature
* ''Ladies' Man'' (novel), a 1978 novel by R ...
'' (HighNote)
*2000 ''The Legend of Teddy Edwards'' (Cope) - soundtrack
*2001 '' Smooth Sailing'' (HighNote) - released 2003
Sonny Criss
William "Sonny" Criss (23 October 1927 – 19 November 1977) was an American jazz musician.
An alto saxophonist of prominence during the bebop era of jazz, he was one of many players influenced by Charlie Parker.
Biography
William Criss wa ...
*''
Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool)
''Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool)'' is an album by saxophonist Sonny Criss recorded in 1968 and released on the Prestige label.Richard "Groove" Holmes
Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of " Misty".
Career
Holmes's first album, on Pacific ...
Pat Martino
Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer.
Biography
Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...
on guitar (Prestige, 1967)
*'' Welcome Home'' (World Pacific, 1968)
With
Milt Jackson
Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...
*''
That's the Way It Is That's the Way It Is may refer to:
*'' Elvis: That's the Way It Is'', a 1970 documentary film about Elvis Presley
* ''That's the Way It Is'' (Elvis Presley album), a 1970 album by Elvis Presley
* "That's the Way It Is" (Mel and Kim song), a 1988 so ...
'' (Impulse!, 1969)
*''
Just the Way It Had to Be
''Just the Way It Had to Be'' is a live album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances recorded at Shelly's Manne-Hole in 1969 for the Impulse! Records, Impulse! label.
'' (Impulse!, 1969)
*''
Memphis Jackson
''Memphis Jackson'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances with the Ray Brown Big Band recorded in 1969 for the Impulse! label.
'' (Impulse!, 1969)
With
King Pleasure
King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks; March 24, 1922 – March 21, 1982) was an American jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a well-known instrumental solo.
Biography
Born as Clarence Beeks in Oakdale, Te ...
*''Golden Days'' (HiFi Jazz, 1960; reissued on
Original Jazz Classics
Original Jazz Classics (or OJC) is a record label that founded in 1983 as an imprint of Fantasy Records.
Under this name original editions of jazz LPs have been reissued on CD and LP, and formerly on cassette as well. The recordings in the seri ...
)
With
Hank Jones
Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...
Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
, 1965)
With
Shelly Manne
Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, s ...
Les McCann Sings
''Les McCann Sings'' is an album by pianist and vocalist Les McCann recorded in 1961 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.Freed., RLes McCann Discographyaccessed January 12, 2016
Reception
The AllMusic review by Ron Wynn called the album: "A ...
'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
*''
McCann/Wilson
''McCann/Wilson'' is an album by pianist Les McCann with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra recorded in 1964 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.Freed., RLes McCann Discographyaccessed January 12, 2016
Reception
Allmusic gives the album 3 stars.
...
'' (Pacific Jazz, 1964) with the
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...
Orchestra
With
Howard McGhee
Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger beb ...
*''West Coast 1945-1947'' (Uptown, 2014)
With
Freddie Redd
Freddie Redd (May 29, 1928 – March 17, 2021) was an American hard-bop pianist and composer. He is best known for writing music to accompany '' The Connection'' (1959), a play by Jack Gelber. According to Peter Watrous, writing in ''The New Y ...
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...
and
Clifford Brown
Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", an ...
*''Max Roach and Clifford Brown In Concert'' (Gene Norman Presents, 1954; reissued on GNP Crescendo)
With Jimmy Smith
*'' Bluesmith'' (
Verve
Verve may refer to:
Music
* The Verve, an English rock band
* ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve
* ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album)
* Verve Records, an American jazz record label
Businesses
* Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...
, 1972)
With
Leroy Vinnegar
Leroy Vinnegar (July 13, 1928 – August 3, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademar ...
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...
on trumpet (Contemporary, 1958)
*'' Leroy Walks Again!!'' (Contemporary, 1963)
With
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...
*''
You Better Believe It!
''You Better Believe It!'' is an album by Jazz musician and bandleader Gerald Wilson. Recorded in 1961 for the Pacific Jazz label,
'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
*'' Moment of Truth'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
*''
Portraits
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this r ...
(Pacific Jazz, 1964)
*'' On Stage'' (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
*''
Feelin' Kinda Blues
''Feelin' Kinda Blues'' is an album by the Gerald Wilson Orchestra recorded in 1965 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.The Golden Sword
''The Golden Sword'', published in 1977, is a science fantasy novel by American writer Janet Morris
Janet Ellen Morris (born May 25, 1946) is an American author of fiction and nonfiction, best known for her fantasy and science fiction and ...