Edison, Harry Sweets

Edison, Harry Sweets, blues-flavored jazz trumpeter; b. Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 10,1915; d. July 27, 1999. His intensely bluesy muted work is a trademark. He was nicknamed “Sweets” by Lester Young while they were working with Count Basie between 1938–50. He began playing trumpet at age 12. As a teenager, he gigged with local bands, then toured with Alphonse Trent’s Band (at that time temporarily led by guitarist Anderson Lacy), and also worked with Eddie Johnson’s Crackerjacks. In the summer of 1933, he joined Jeter-Pillars’ Band in Cleveland and for the next three years toured major Midwest towns with this band. In February 1937, he joined Lucky Millinder, and then from June 1938 until February 1950 worked with Count Basie, except for a stint in an Army band. He provided the vocals on Basic’s #1 pop hit, the R&B novelty “Open the Door, Richard” in 1947. After leaving Basie, Edison played in a small group led by Jimmy Rushing before regular tours with J.A.T.P, from September 1950. He joined Buddy Rich’s Band early in 1951 and for the next two years worked on and off with Rich including work in Calif, accompanying the Josephine Baker Revue in 1953. Remaining on the West Coast, Edison did studio work through most of the 1950s including many sessions with the Nelson Riddle Orch., starting with Frank Sinatra’s Wee Hours album. He also did club work in the area with his own small ensemble. In September 1958, he moved back to N.Y. where he led his own group during the late 1950s and early 1960s working the jazz club scene, while continuing freelance session work. He worked with George Auld’s Band in spring 1964, and later that year toured Europe with J.A.T.P. From the mid- 1960s through Basic’s death, he again worked with the Count, occasionally rejoining the band for brief spells (including a 1970 European tour). During the late 1960s, Edison returned to Calif., mainly leading his own small group at Memory Lane, Los Angeles, from 1966–70, while also continuing to freelance with various big bands. He was featured in the film Jammin’ the Blues. He visited Europe with Count Basie (1970), and undertook several tours of Europe in the late 1970s, some with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. Beginning in the 1980s, Edison began to lose some of his facility on the trumpet, leading him to pare back his solo work; still he continued to record and perform through the 1990s.

Discography

Harry Edison Quartet (1953); Inventive Harry Edison (1953); Sweets at the Haig (1953); Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton (1958); Swinger (1958); Jawbreakers (1962); Ben Webster and Sweets Edison (1962); Home with Sweets (1964); When Lights Are Low (1965); Oscar Peterson and Harry Edison (1974); Just Friends (1975); Edison’s Lights (1976); Opus Funk (1976); Blues for Basie (1977); Simply Sweets (1977); Swing Summit (1990); Swinging/or the Count (1995).

—John Chilton/Lewis Porter