Harry "Sweets" Edison

Harry "Sweets" Edison was born on October 10, 1915 in Columbus, Ohio. At the age of 12 he was playing trumpet with local bands. When he was 18 he joined the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra in Cleveland.

In 1937 Edison moved to New York and joined the Count Basie Orchestra. This is when he got the nickname "Sweets" from Lester Young. He stayed with the Basie Band until it broke up in 1950.

In the 1950's "Sweets" toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic. He moved to Los Angeles and played as a studio musician, most notably for Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. In the 1960's and 1970's he worked with many orchestras on TV and on Count Basie reunions.

During the 1980's and 1990's he led groups and toured in Europe and Japan. Harry "Sweets" Edison died July 27, 1999 in Columbus, Ohio.

Earlier this afternoon I listened to "Live at the Iridium." This is a 1997 Telarc release. The personnel are Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, Clark Terry on trumpet and fluglehorn, Frank Wess on flute and tenor sax, Junior Mance on piano, Marcus McLaurine on bass, and David Gibson on drums.

There are four Edison originals including the well known "Centerpiece." The other four tunes on this recording include the standard "Emily," "I Wish I Knew," "Midgets," and "Doggin' Around."

Here's a video of "Sweets" playing "There Is No Greater Love."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PDkduz8gmQ&feature=player_detailpage