Representative Albums: "Teddy's Ready," "Midnight Creeper," "Horn to Horn"
Representative Songs: "Sunset Eyes," "Takin' Off," "Wheelin' and Dealin'"
Biography
Teddy Edwards was, with Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray, the top young tenor of the late '40s. Unlike the other two, he chose to remain in Los Angeles and has been underrated through the years but remained in prime form well into his 70s. Early on, he toured with Ernie Fields' Orchestra, moving to L.A. in 1945 to work with Roy Milton as an altoist. Edwards switched to tenor when he joined Howard McGhee's band and was featured in many jam sessions during the era, recording "The Duel" with Dexter Gordon in 1947. A natural-born leader, Edwards did work briefly with Max Roach & Clifford Brown (1954), Benny Carter (1955), and Benny Goodman (1964), and he recorded in the 1960s with Milt Jackson and Jimmy Smith. But it was his own records -- for Onyx (1947-1948), Pacific Jazz, Contemporary (1960-1962), Prestige, Xanadu, Muse, SteepleChase, Timeless, and Antilles -- that best displayed his playing and writing; "Sunset Eyes" is Edwards' best-known original. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
First Major Screen Credit: One From the Heart (1982)
Biography
A tenor saxophonist who personified Los Angeles jazz in the later half of the 20th century, Teddy Edwards is also credited with the first bebop tenor sax solo for his 1946 recording, alongside Howard McGhee, of "Up in Dodo's Room." Born in Jackson, MS, in April of 1926, Edwards was a professional musician by age 12, and became closely associated with L.A.'s Central Avenue jazz scene in the 1940s and '50s. Though Edwards would gain exposure as alto in Roy Milton's band early on, it was his subsequent work with McGhee that resulted in what many consider the first West Coast modern jazz band. The sextet flourished after "cutting sessions" (on-stage musical duels) were introduced into their act, and Edwards' musical stylings resulted in numerous such sessions with Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray, among others. Later involved with Gene Norman's popular Just Jazz concerts, Edwards recorded frequently between 1959 and 1967, though the following two decades found the talented saxophone player contributing to the scores of such films as One From the Heart (1982) instead of cutting records. Edwards was introduced to longtime fan Tom Waits while working on the score for that film, and the duo would re-team to release Edwards' comeback, entitled Mississippi Lad, a decade later. From the early '90s on, Edwards averaged an album every other year until 1993's Smooth Sailing. Continuing to tour despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995, a documentary entitled The Legend of Teddy Edwards was released in 2001, and Edwards' first novel, Paris Nights, was due to be released in 2003. On April 20, 2003, Teddy Edwards finally succumbed to prostate cancer and died in his Los Angeles home. He was 78. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Theodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an Americanjazz tenor saxophonist based on the West Coast of the US. Some people consider him to be one of the most influential Saxophonists in American history.
Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone and then clarinet. Edwards' first professional job was with The Royal Mississippians with Doc Parmley.
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. Teddy had planned to go to New York, but Ernie Fields convinced him he could get there by way of Washington, DC if he worked with his band. Teddy ended up at the Club Alabam on Central Ave. in Los Angeles, which later became his city of residence.
Edwards played live with and appeared on albums of Tom Waits. He toured with him on the Heart Attack and Vine tour and played to a packed Victoria Apollo in London with Tom and a bassist. (The drummer had apparently been left behind after some dispute). The 1991 album Mississippi Lad features two tracks with Waits, and Waits covers the Edwards-written ballad "Little Man" on his Orphans collection.
1961: Howard McGhee/Teddy Edwards - Together Again! - Teddy Edwards - Howard McGhee Quintet with Phineas Newborn, Jr. (p) Ray Brown (b) Ed Thigpen (d) - (Contemporary M 3588, S 7588; Fantasy OJC 424, OJCCD 424-2)
