Harry Edison


Harry "Sweets" Edison was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backing singers, most notably Frank Sinatra.
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Biography

Edison was born in Columbus, Ohio, United States. He spent his early childhood in Louisville, Kentucky, being introduced to music by an uncle. After moving back to Columbus at the age of twelve, the young Edison began playing the trumpet with local bands.
In 1933, he became a member of the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra in Cleveland. Afterwards, he played with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band and Lucky Millinder. In 1937, he moved to New York and joined the Count Basie Orchestra. His colleagues included Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Buddy Tate, Freddie Green, Jo Jones, and other original members of that famous band. Speaking in 1956 with DownBeat's Don Freeman, Edison explained the origin of his nickname:
Well, this happened one day in March back in '37. All of us in the Basie band were sitting around the lobby of the Woodside Hotel in New York. It was snowing outside, and we were waiting for the bus to go on a tour of one-nighters. We were all like brothers in that band. I was kind of the baby of the band and took a lot of the ribbing. So this time Lester Young was joshing me about my 'sweet' style and he said: "We're going to call you 'Sweetie Pie.'" They did, too, for a few months. Then they shortened it to "Sweets." The nickname has kind of lasted a long time.

"Sweets" Edison came to prominence as a soloist with the Basie Band and as an occasional composer/arranger for the band. He also appeared in the 1944 film Jammin' the Blues.
Edison spent thirteen years with Basie until the band was temporarily disbanded in 1950. Edison thereafter pursued a varied career as leader of his own groups, traveling with Jazz at the Philharmonic and freelancing with other orchestras. In the early 1950s, he settled on the West Coast and became a highly sought-after studio musician, making important contributions to recordings by such artists as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Billy Daniels, Margaret Whiting, Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald. He worked closely with the arranger Nelson Riddle, who gave Edison a microphone that was separate from the rest of the trumpet section. He made use of a Harmon mute to improvise his solos and obbligatos. In 1956, he recorded the first of three albums with Ben Webster.
According to the Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies, Edison in the 1960s and 1970s continued to work in many orchestras on television shows, including Hollywood Palace and The Leslie Uggams Show, specials with Frank Sinatra; prominently featured on the sound track and in the sound track album of the film Lady Sings the Blues. From 1973, Edison acted as Musical Director for Redd Foxx on theatre dates, at concerts, and in Las Vegas. He appeared frequently in Europe and Japan until shortly before his death. He was the Los Angeles Jazz Society's first Tribute Honoree.
Edison died of prostate cancer at his home in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 83.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Buddy and Sweets with Buddy RichPres and Sweets with Lester YoungSweets Gee, Baby Ain't I Good to You with Ben WebsterJazz Giants '58 with Stan Getz and Gerry MulliganGoing for Myself with Lester YoungThe Swinger Mr. Swing Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton with Buck ClaytonSweetenings Patented by Edison Together with Joe WilliamsJawbreakers with Eddie "Lockjaw" DavisWanted to Do One Together with Ben Webster"Sweets" for the Sweet Sweets for the Sweet Taste of Love When Lights Are Low The Trumpet Kings Meet Joe Turner with Big Joe Turner, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge and Clark TerryOscar Peterson and Harry Edison with Oscar PetersonOscar Peterson and the Trumpet Kings – Jousts with Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge and Clark TerryEdison's Lights Simply Sweets with Eddie "Lockjaw" DavisJust Friends with John Haley SimsMeeting in Stockholm with Claes CronaOscar Peterson + Harry Edison + Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson with Oscar Peterson and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
  • ''For My Pals''

As sideman

With Count BasieMemories Ad-Lib Breakfast Dance and Barbecue Hollywood...Basie's Way Basie's Beat Basie's in the Bag Standing Ovation The Original American Decca Recordings – rec. 1937–1939Live at the Sands (Before Frank) –rec. 1966
With Louie BellsonSkin Deep Drumorama! Music, Romance and Especially Love Louis Bellson at The Flamingo Thunderbird
With Ray BryantMadison Time Dancing the Big Twist
With Benny CarterWonderland – rec. 1976Elegy in Blue
With Duke Ellington with Johnny HodgesSide by Side Back to Back
With Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook Get Happy! Hello, Love Whisper Not 30 by Ella Ella Loves Cole Fine and Mellow All That Jazz
With Billie HolidayMusic for Torching Velvet Mood Lady Sings the Blues Body and Soul Songs for Distingué Lovers All or Nothing at All
With Jo JonesVamp 'til Ready The Main Man
With Quincy JonesGo West, Man! The Birth of a Band! Quincy Plays for Pussycats - rec. 1959–1965Walk, Don't Run
With Buddy RichThe Swinging Buddy Rich The Wailing Buddy Rich This One's for Basie Buddy Rich Sings Johnny Mercer Buddy Rich Just Sings Richcraft
With Shorty RogersShorty Rogers Courts the Count Martians Come Back! – rec. 1955Way Up There – rec. 1955Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers
With Frank SinatraSwing Easy! In the Wee Small Hours Songs for Swingin' Lovers! Close to You A Swingin' Affair! Only the Lonely Nice 'n' Easy Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! Sinatra & Company Some Nice Things I've Missed
With Frank Sinatra and Count BasieIt Might as Well Be Swing Sinatra at the Sands
With Mel TorméMel Tormé Live at the Fujitsu–Concord Festival 1990 Night at the Concord Pavilion
With Sarah VaughanDreamy The Divine One
With Lester YoungGoing for Myself – rec. 1957Laughin' to Keep from Cryin'
With others