The Big Band Jazz of Sweets Edison

Sweets Edison

Source: Postales de Jazz

Born 10 October 1915 in Columbus, Ohio, then raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Harry "Sweets" Edison began to play trumpet in amateur bands upon being moved back to Columbus at age twelve. He began to play professionally in 1933 in Cleveland with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra.

Edison first recorded on March 24, 1933, with Alphonse Trent: 'Clementine' and 'I've Found a New Baby', the last with Anderson Lacy at vocals (Champ 16587). Edison then joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band run by Lucky Millinder to put away 'Blue Rhythm Fantasy' / 'Jungle Madness' (Variety 503) and 'Prelude to a Stomp' / 'Rhythm Man' (Variety 546), et al, on February 11 of 1937. A couple more sessions ensued with the Blue Rhythm Band that year. Samples below won't necessarily descend in chronological order. Edison performs trumpet on all, though not necessarily lead nor solos.

'I've Found a New Baby'   Harry Sweets Edison w the Alphonso Trent Orchestra

Second track of first session

24 March 1933 in Richmond IN   Matrix 19081   Champion 16587

Trumpet: Chester Clark /  Edison / Peanuts Holland

Trombone: Snub Mosley / Gus Wilson (arrangement)

Alto sax: James Jeter / Chester Pillars / Lee Hilliard

Tenor / baritone sax: Hayes Pillars

Violin / vocal: Anderson Lacy   Banjo / guitar: Eugene Crooke

Tuba: Robert "Eppie" Jackson   Drums: A.G. Godley

Composition: Jack Palmer / Spencer Williams   1926

Edison's first tracks with the Count Basie Orchestra were on February 16, 1938: 'Sent for You Yesterday' (Decca 1880), 'Every Tub' (Decca 1728), etc.. Edison composed 'H & J' for recording by Basie on 10 April 1941 (Okeh 6365). Ten years later Basie swung out Edison's 'Beaver Junction' on 10 April 1951 (Edison out). They co-wrote 'Jive at Five' for recording by Martial Solal in May of 1956. Basie was one of the more important figures throughout Edison's career, Edison supporting Basie to 1950, then, per Lord's sessionography, 1953 to 1959, 1964 to 1966, 1976, 1979 and as late as 1981 for Basie's 'Warm Breeze'. Edison would appear at the Kool Jazz Festival Salute to Count Basie at Carnegie Hall on June 30, 1984, to record 'Rompin' at the Reno', 'Kansas City Blues' and 'Cherry Blossom'. That tribute occurred due to Basie's death on April 26, 1984.

'Now Will You Be Good'   Harry Sweets Edison w the Count Basie Orchestra

16 Feb 1938 in NYC   Matrix 63288-A

Decca 1728 / Brunswick 02940 / Ajax LP-137

Trumpet: Buck Clayton / Edison / Ed Lewis

Trombone: Eddie Durham / Dan Minor / Benny Morton

Alto sax: Earl Warren / Jack Washington (baritone)

Tenor sax: Lester Young   Piano: Basie

Guitar: Eddie Durham / Freddie Green

Bass: Walter Page   Drums: Papa Jo Jones   Vocal: Jimmy Rushing

Composition: Arthur Terker / Harry Jentes / Harry Pease

'Rhythm Man'   Harry Sweets Edison w the Count Basie Orchestra

Radio broadcast of 25 Sep 1944 in Los Angeles   AFRS 'Jubilee #98'

Caracol CAR432 / Joyce LP1045 / Swing House SWH23

Trumpet: Edison / Ed Lewis / Al Killian

Trombone: Eli Robinson / Robert Scott / Louis Taylor / Dicky Wells

Alto sax: Jimmy Powell / Earl Warren

Tenor sax: Buddy Tate / Jimmy Keith

Baritone sax: Rudy Rutherford (clarinet)   Piano: Basie

Guitar: Freddie Green

Bass: Walter Page   Drums: Papa Jo Jones

Composition: Basie / Jimmy Mundy

While Edison was with Basie an important vocalist arrived per Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra on December 13, 1939, recording such as 'Night and Day' and 'The Man I Love' (Vocalion / Okeh 5377). Several sessions with Holiday followed in the fifties from 1954 to as late as March 11, 1959, with the Ray Ellis Orchestra: ''Deed I do', 'All of You', etc.. Though there is a lot of Holiday backed by Edison at YouTube, I wasn't able to find a curator overly interested to share such with the whole world, Alex the apathetic YouTube curator among them.

Edison's career first name session as a leader went down on September 26, 1941: 'Hold the Phone'. An important drummer by the name of Buddy Rich entered Edison's sphere via Basie on September 25, 1944, Rich attending an AFRS 'Jubilee' (#98) radio broadcast from Los Angeles: 'One O'Clock Jump', 'Every Tub', etc.. Edison and Rich would be found together on multiple projects in the fifties, both supporting other bands and Edison backing Rich. The first such occasion for the latter was on August 21, 1953, in Los Angeles: 'Let's Fall In Love' / 'Me and My Jaguar' (Clef 89094) and 'Just Blues'. In 1955 they issued the album, 'Buddy and Sweets'. Their last recordings together were with Basie again on December 19, 1966: "Ceaseless Blues', 'Macy', etc..

'Easy Does It'   Harry Sweets Edison (trumpet) w Buddy Rich (drums)

1 Sep 1955 in Los Angeles   From the album 'Buddy and Sweets'

 Piano: Jimmy Rowles   Guitar: Barney Kessel   Bass: John Simmons

Composition: Sy Oliver / Trummy Young   1939

Edison's first of five dates with Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) had been September 16, 1950, at Carnegie Hall, bearing 'Lady Be Good', 'Indiana', etc.. His last titles with the JATP were on October 17, 1983, in Tokyo, numerous tracks from 'Sunday' to 'Flyin Home', the last with Fitzgerald on vocals.

It was 1952 that Edison migrated from the East Coast to California where he worked as a studio musician, also playing in television orchestras. Another important drummer was Louie Bellson whom Edison first backed in July of 1953 for Bellson's 'Skin Deep'. Numerous sessions followed in 1957, 1963 to 1974, 1983 and as late as 1999, both of them contributing to vocalist, Steve Tyrell's, 'A New Standard'.

'For Europeans Only'   Harry Sweets Edison w the Louie Bellson Orchestra

July 1953 in Los Angeles

Trumpet: Edison / Maynard Ferguson / Conrad Gozzo / Ray Linn

Trombone: Hoyt Bohannon / Herb Harper / Tommy Pederson

Alto sax: Benny Carter / Willie Smith

Tenor sax: Wardell Gray / Hubert "Bumps" Myers

Baritone sax: Bob Lawson   Piano: Jimmy Rowles

Guitar: Barney Kessel

Bass: John Simmons   Drums: Bellson

Composition: Tadd Dameron   1946

An important reed player, tenor saxophonist, Ben Webster, came along in 1953, Edison first backing Webster on December 8 that year for such as two takes of 'That's All' (Norgran 103, Norgran EPN16), 'Pennies From Heaven' (Norgran 115), etc.. They would record on multiple occasions, Webster contributing to Edison's 'Sweets' (1956) and 'Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You' (1957). Their album, 'Ben and Sweets', appeared in 1962. They put down tracks together as late as a concert on May 22, 1973, in Denmark with trumpeter, Arrivid Meyer: 'I Can't Get Started', 'Mess a Stomp, etc.. But just my luck, though there is a lot at YouTube of Sweets and Edison together, I couldn't find a curator who cared to share with one and all. Copilot, though, found Alex again, now dreading that someone might get away with something at her expense.  

Another important personality was vocalist, Frank Sinatra, via Nelson Riddle, recording 'You Forgot All the Words' (Capitol 3552), 'Love Is Here to Stay' (Capitol W653) and 'Weep They Will' (Capitol 3290) on October 17, 1955, in Los Angeles. Edison held numerous sessions in support of Sinatra, including with Basie from 1964 to 1966, and to as late as October 5, 1970, at Royal Festival Hall in London: 'Pennies From Heaven'. Unfortunately, though there is a lot of Sinatra backed by Edison at YouTube, an exhaustive search revealed no channels overly eager to promote such. Sweets, however, made an album with Lester Young in latter 1955 titled 'Pres & Sweets' which at least one curator thought good for the globe beyond YouTube.

'Pennies from Heaven'   Harry Sweets Edison w Lester Young ('The Pres')

1 Nov 1955 in Los Angeles   Matrix 2535-1

From the album 'Pres & Sweets' issued on Norgran MGN-1043

Trumpet: Edison   Tenor sax: Young

Piano: Oscar Peterson   Guitar: Herb Ellis

Bass: Ray Brown   Drums: Buddy Rich

Music: Arthur Johnston 1936   Lyrics: Johnny Burke

See Discogs   Jazz Tome   Wikipedia

Another important vocalist was Ella Fitzgerald, arriving via the Buddy Bregman Orchestra on January 25, 1956: 'Stay There' and 'Too Young for the Blues', etc.. Edison backed multiple sessions with Fitzgerald through the years to as late as her album, 'All That Jazz', recorded in March of 1989.

'Blue Skies'   Harry Sweets Edison w Paul Weston and his Orchestra

Vocal: Ella Fitzgerald   Arrangement: Weston

From the album 'Get Happy!' issued on Verve Records MGV 4036   1960

Composition: Irving Berlin

Come 18 September 1958 Edison and tenor saxophonist, Jimmy Forrest, recorded 'The Swinger'. Joining them on that were Jimmy Jones (piano), Freddie Green (guitar), Joe Benjamin (bass) and Charlie Persip (drums). Forrest next supported Edison's 'Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton' in October:

'Critics Delight'   Harry Sweets Edison w Jimmy Forrest

16 Oct 1958 in NYC   Matrix 22507

From the album 'Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton' issued on Verve MGV8293

Trumpet: Edison / Buck Clayton   Tenor sax: Forrest

Piano: Oscar Peterson   Vibes: Eddie Costa   Guitar: Steve Jordan

Bass: Joe Benjamin   Drums: Charlie Persip

Composition: Edison

'Centerpiece'   Harry Sweets Edison w Sir Charles Thompson

2 Oct 1964 (?) at Wembley Town Hall in London

Trumpet: Edison   Tenor sax: Coleman Hawkins

Piano: Thompson   Bass: Jimmy Woode   Drums: Papa Jo Jones

Composition: Edison / Bill Tennyson

'Garota de Ipanema'   Harry Sweets Edison w Sir Charles Thompson

'Girl from Ipanema'

2 Oct 1964 at Wembley Town Hall in London

Trumpet: Edison

Piano: Thompson   Bass: Jimmy Woode   Drums: Papa Jo Jones

Music: Antônio Carlos Jobim   Lyrics: Vinicius de Moraes   1962

'Willow Weep for Me'   Harry Sweets Edison w Sir Charles Thompson

2 Oct 1964 at Wembley Town Hall in London

Trumpet: Edison

Piano: Thompson   Bass: Jimmy Woode   Drums: Papa Jo Jones

Composition: Ann Ronell   1932

'Opus Funk'   Harry Sweets Edison w Eddie Lockjaw Davis

6 July 1976 in Copenhagen

See the album 'Opus Funk Vol. 2' issued on Storyville SLP 4025

Trumpet: Edison   Tenor sax: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

Piano: Kenny Drew   Bass: Hugo Rasmussen   Drums: Svend-Erik Norregaard

Composition: Horace Silver   1953

'There Is No Greater Love'   Harry Sweets Edison (trumpet)

1983 at the Bern Jazz Festival

Piano: Gerry Wiggins   Bass: Jimmy Woode   Drums: Oliver Jackson

Composition: Isham Jones / Marty Symes

Another major name whom Edison supported was Lionel Hampton, contributing to a couple of Hampton albums as one of his Golden Men of Jazz recorded on dates at the Blue Note in New York City in 1991. Again, though there is some Sweets with Hampton on that occasion at YouTube, there are no channels with overmuch interest in posting such for all the world beyond the YouTube. Alex, meanwhile was ex-peer-iencing another critical crunch. I did, however, find a concert date in Munich shared by Hampton and Sweets in 1993, the year after another performance with Bellson's outfit in 1992, this time in Vienna.

'Sweet Tooth'   Harry Sweets Edison (trumpet)

1983 at the Bern Jazz Festival

Sax: Don Menza / Scott Robinson

Bass: Milt Hinton   Drums: Louie Bellson

'Hamp'   Harry Sweets Edison w Lionel Hampton and the Golden Men of Jazz

1993 at the Munchner Klaviersommer (Munich Piano Summer)

Trumpet: Clark Terry (solo) / Edison   Trombone: Al Grey

Tenor sax: Benny Golson

Piano: Junior Mance   Vibes: Hampton

Bass: Jim Woode   Drums: Panama Francis

'Ghost of a Chance'   Harry Sweets Edison w the Ben Peplowski Quintet   1994

Sax: Peplowski   Guitar: Howard Alden

Bass: Murray Wall   Drums: Tom Melito

Edison's last certain recording date was on 18 October 1998 with the Gerry Wiggins Trio, contributing to a few titles to be found on the album, 'Lionel Hampton & His Big Band Live'. (He didn't perform with Hampton on this occasion, only on the same date at the same venue.) Lord also has Edison performing on unknown dates likely in June of 1999 briefly before his death toward titles on Steve Tyrell's albums 'A New Standard' issued in 1999 and 'Standard Time' released in 2001.

'Remembering Sweets' ('I Can't Give You Anything But Love')

Harry Sweets Edison w Steve Tyrell (vocal)

Probably June 1999   From the Tyrell album 'Standard Time'

Guitar: Bob Mann   Bass: Bob Magnusson

Also touring Europe and Japan during his latter career, Edison died in Columbus, Ohio, on June 27, 1999 [obit]. Alex, meanwhile, is nodding off again, having given the HMR Project no reason at all to boost her channel amidst the plethora of others.