NPR Jazz Profile - Harry "Sweets" Edison

Photo by Lionel Decoster, via Wikimedia Commons

Given his nickname by that prolific creator of jazz slang, Lester Young, Harry "Sweets" Edison was a master of the jazz trumpet. He is another of the countless jazz players who was inspired by Louis Armstrong to take up the trumpet and he eventually played with such greats as the Mill Blue Rhythm Band, the Count Basie Orchestra, and Ben Webster and more.

I heard about this audio documentary from our pal Felix Berghäll at ILHC this year. And he said HE found it because of the NPR Jazz Profile of Illinois Jacquet that I've already shared here (another one to NOT miss). Such fun connections!

It is a truly pleasurable listen and you will likely learn a lot. Some highlights for Lindy Hoppers to listen for are:

1. The talk of "swing" in the Count Basie band. (Lindy Hoppers are mentioned!)

2. Basie's approach to band-leading and how the Basie band works as a musical entity

3. Albert Murray talking about anything - he is the greatest - check out some of his books if you haven't!

4. Edison's unique sensibilities in his playing

There are tons of gems in there and a lot that really got me thinking about great jazz and great dancing.

Check out the full audio doc for free here:

https://www.npr.org/2008/07/23/92812900/harry-sweets-edison-simplicity-in-swing

"UK Jazz" Dance in the 80's

I just saw this brief documentary posted by a dance friend on Facebook (thanks to Dom Eagleton for the find!) and it was super interesting. It is about this amazing scene of dancers and musicians in London in the 80's who found their way to some amazing fast and furious hard bop jazz music and brought their own special influences and exuberance to the dancing they did to this music. It's a beautiful document of a real live scene, full of excitement and innovation.

I first brushed up against this dance while teaching with Naomi in Tokyo oddly enough. Turns our this London scene had some Tokyo dance connections that brought the same dancing to Tokyo where it still exists today. We were brought to a club in the basement in the middle of the city where great dancers threw down a mix of house and jazz, with obvious inspiration from the Nicholas Brothers and more, all to some amazing post swing-era jazz, while old dance clips including Hellzapoppin and featuring the likes of Al & Leon were projected on the wall. It was amazing and I always wanted to know more about this scene. This documentary is a treat (AND it's narrated by a young Hugh Laurie for the record).

I also stumbled upon a Yehoodi post from 2019 that I don't know how I missed that has some great info and resources about this scene. Of particular interest is the YouTube playlist that Rik put together with some great examples of this dancing.

I don't know how much that scene interacted with the Lindy Hop scene that grew up in London soon after this, but these videos offer an amazing snapshot of a fresh response to this amazing old music.

-P

Count Basie on Jazz Casual

Another episode of Jazz Casual, this time with the great master of swing, Count Basie!

Highlights include:

1. 8:14 Basie killing it on "Handful of Keys" by his great inspiration, Fats Waller. If you are used to the Count's very sparse, tinkling solos, be sure to check out him tearing through a chorus of this song.

2. 13:30 Basie talk about the origins of his theme song, the One O'Clock Jump.

3. 20:07 Tempo talk - it's great to hear Basie talk about liking to play a "danceable" tempo.

4. 24:32 Hear Basie talk with great reverence about Duke Ellington (as he always did). Basie saw him as the greatest and always said so - he was always so humble in giving it up to Duke's greatness.

Another thing I love about these old shows is just how much silence they let happen. You can tell that the interviewer wanted to say as little as possible and sometimes the Count seems to have felt the same. Still though it is such a treat to spend such an intimate half hour with such a master!

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Count Basie Quartet (August 21, 1968)

Count Basie (piano); Norman Keenan (bass); Freddie Green (guitar); Sonny Payne (drums).

1. I Don't Know

2. Handful of Keys

3. Untitled Blues

4. Squeeze Me

5. Twenty Minutes After Three

6. As Long As I Live

7. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)

8. National Educational Television Blues