Teddy Edwards on tenor saxophone, Virgil Jones on trumpet, Richard Wyands on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Chip White on drums. CD

Featuring Tom Waits. CD

Teddy Edwards at the height of his powers – packing a tight, soulful punch that made him one of the most popular players on the west coast in the early 60s – and a great link between earlier R&B tenorists and the leaner sound of 60s jazz! Edwards has a nice gutbuckety tone at times – the qualities you might hear from Hank Crawford or David Newman in the way they blended their sounds – but the overall feel is leaner and cleaner, too – not many cliches, and a kind of straightforward sound that really shows the new inroads that the LA soul jazz scene was making at the time. The set features a shifting lineup – piano from Amos Trice, Joe Castro, and Ronnie Ball – bass from Leroy Vinnegar and Ben Tucker – and drums from Al Levitt and Billy Higgins – on titles that include a whopping batch of originals like "Teddy's Tune", "Tempo De Blues", "Vintage '57", "Sunset Eyes", and "Takin Off". Plus, this CD's got some great notes, excellent packaging, and even includes 3 unreleased bonus cuts! CD

Teddy Edwards on tenor, Alain Jean-Marie on piano, Christian Escoude on guitar, Thomas Bramerie on bass, and Alvester Garnett on drums – plus Spanky Wilson on vocals. CD

Two of the best west coast boppers of the postwar years – back together again in a killer revival date cut by Contemporary Records! As the title implies, the set's got a backward-looking sort of feel – at least for the early 60s recording date – but from the perspective of our generation, the whole thing merges nicely into the classic sound of LA bop – perhaps extending out the original Central Ave groove a bit more, thanks to the generous recording spirit of Contemporary, and the longer tracks on the date. Edwards plays tenor, McGhee plays trumpet, and other players include Phineas Newborn on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include "Together Again", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Up There", "Perhaps", "Misty" and "Sandy". CD

A trio of wonderful tenorists – each of them important players on their respective local scenes – coming together tremendously here in an all-star set! Tracks are often long, and really allow each individual plenty of personal expression on their solos – and although Edwards was getting some good time on record at this point in his career, the set's maybe even more special for the way it presents both Buck Hill and Von Freeman – each of whom is great. Backing is by the trio of Rein De Graaff on piano, Koos Serierse on bass, and Eric Ineke on drums – and titles include "Perdido/Wahoo", "Red Top", "I Can't Get Started", "Out Of Nowhere", "Loverman", and "Old Folks". CD

One of the more compelling later recordings of the great Teddy Edwards – a set that also features Gerald Wiggins on piano! CD

Andrew Simpkins on bass, Melissa Hasin on cello, Mel Brown on drums, Carol Robbins on harp, Ray Armando on percussion, Art Hillery on piano, Michael White on stroh violin, Maurice Spears & Thurman Green on trombone, Frank Szabo, James B. Smith & Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Dan Weinstein on viola & Brenton Banks & Mark Cargill on violin. CD

A great 70s comeback album from tenorist Teddy Edwards – done after a number of years away from the studio, but with a rock-solid sound that may well be his classics from the 60s! Teddy's tone is amazing on the record – more laidback and confident than on his earlier albums, and a lot more soulful as well – stepping out right from the start with a quality that's boldly personal, and free from some of the 70s cliches that others might have attempted in a set like this. Instead, Edwards is very much his own man – and very much in charge of an excellent group that includes Conte Candoli on trumpet, Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Frank Butler drums, and Jerry Steinholz conga and percussion – players who come together with this warmly soulful quality that's surprisingly more than the sum of its already-great parts. Titles include "The Blue Sombrero", "Bear Tracks", "Ritta Ditta Blues", and "Eleven Twenty Three". CD

Teddy Edwards will blow your socks off! Titles include "Afraid Of Love", "Mamacita Lisa", "Back Alley Blues", "The Cellar Dweller", "Moving In", and "It's All Right". CD

Excellent set of LA hardbop tracks by the great tenor player Teddy Edwards, with a group that includes Joe Castro, Leroy Vinnegar, and Billy Higgins. Edwards' tone is fantastic, and the tracks give him a chance to show off his soloing talent in a way that he didn't always reach on other recordings. Tracks include "Blues In G", "You Name it", "Higgins' Hideaway", and "The Sermon". CD

Two tenor greats pay tribute to a host of other tenor greats – but with results that are quite different than you might expect! The album's hardly the type that just revisits familiar cliches from tenor giants of years past – and instead, the team of Houston Person and Teddy Edwards really bring a lot of themselves to the record – working through modes previously expressed by John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, and others – but all in ways that are more than solid enough to stand on their own. Of course, they've got some great help here in the rhythm section – Richard Wyands on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – the latter two of whom we'd be happy to hear in anyone's company. Titles include "Equinox", "The Girl From Ipanema", "Body & Soul", "Talk Of The Town", "That's All", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

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One of the more compelling later recordings of the great Teddy Edwards – a set that also features Gerald Wiggins on piano! CD

70s brilliance from tenorist Teddy Edwards – a really overlooked album, and one that marks a great step forward from some of Edwards' better-known material of the 60s! That impeccable tone is still very strongly in place – that Edwards way of blowing smooth, but with a subtle bite, too – and Teddy's also developed this sense of flow that's really special – a difference than the way he played fifteen or twenty years before – with almost a Sonny Criss-like approach that really holds us rapt, even in more subtle moments. The album's beautifully recorded – in that stunning Xanadu label way – and the group's a quartet, with Duke Jordan on piano, Larry Ridley on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums. Edwards is clearly the start of the show, though – and really shines on titles that include "Sunset Eyes", "Imagination", "One By One", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

Great late life work from these two important figures on the LA jazz scene of the postwar years – trumpeter Howard McGhee and tenorist Teddy Edwards – both sounding wonderful here in a very relaxed, open setting! The record's got an approach that's especially marked by the deeper, soulful tone that Edwards adopted from the 60s onward – that great ear for a ballad, which McGhee follows strongly in his performance, although with a tone that's maybe a bit more offbeat. The rest of the group features Art Hillery on piano, Leroy Vinegar on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and titles include a great version of "I Want To Talk About You", plus "Crescent", "Time Waits", "Ruby My Dear", and "If You Could See Me Now". CD

A great example of the cool, classy swing that Benny Carter hit in the 1960s – a groove that was more regularly brought to backings for standout singers of the time, but which also works beautifully here in an instrumental mode! Carter's alto sax is at the top of the charts, but the album's almost more of an ensemble effort overall – with great reed work from Bud Shank on alto, Teddy Edwards and Bill Perkins on tenor, Bill Hood on baritone sax, Don Abney on piano, Barney Kessell and Mundell Lowe on guitar – all coming together as kind of a mini-large ensemble – never that big in the number of players, but grooving with a great sense of poise, class, and soul. There's a number of originals written by Carter, including "Doozy", "Prohibido", "Come On Back", "Rock Bottom", "We Were In Love", and "Titmouse" CD

Early bop material from the great Sonny Criss – a collection of rare early live sessions, done at a time when he was one of the leading lights of the Central Ave scene! The first 3 tracks on the set feature Sonny blowing away on a set of longer tunes – recorded in 1947 with Howard McGhee, Teddy Edwards, and Hampton Hawes – on tracks that include "The Man I Love", "Orinithology", and "Body & Soul". The next 4 tracks are from 1949, and already show Sonny maturing into the soulful player of later years – working with Hampton Hawes in a quartet, on tracks that include "Calidad", "Tornado", "The First One", and "Blues For Boppers". Next up are 4 tracks from the classic Charlie Parker/Chet Baker date from June 1952 at the Tradewinds – a session that alto featured some great work from Criss on tracks that include "The Squirrel", "They Didn't Believe Me", "Indiana", and "Liza". Last up is one more Tradewinds recording from September of 1952 – with Sonny leading a quartet on a great reading of "Strike Up The Band". CD

Early work by Groove Holmes – the one organist who showed the scene that the west coast could boast a Hammond player as strong as the giants emerging from the east during the early 60s. The set features tracks recorded during the 1960s for the Pacific Jazz label, with Groove in groups that feature players like Teddy Edwards, Gene Ammons, Ben Webster, Joe Pass, and Les McCann. There's a total of 11 tracks in all – and titles include "Groovin Time", "Sweatin", "The Wailer", "This Here", "High Blues Pressure", "Comin Through The Apple", "Morris The Minor", and "That Healin Feeling". CD

A great live date – recorded in Tokyo with Jackson on vibes, Teddy Edwards on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Tracks include "Killer Joe", "All Blues", "St. Thomas", "The Prophet Speaks", and "Stolen Moments". CD

Great stuff – and one of the stranger examples of a very short-lived jazz trend – the "jazz meets folk" style that appeared on a handful of albums in the early 60s! The set features Shelly Manne exploring his Jewish heritage on a host of Israeli and Jewish folk tunes, played with a group that includes Shorty Rogers, Teddy Edwards, Victor Feldman, and Al Viola. The overall sound is pretty cool – as the tracks have an angular jaunty approach that lends itself well to Manne's dexterous drumming, and a lingering sadness that brings out a nice tone in Edwards' tenor. Titles include "Zamar Nodad", "Bokrei Lachish", "Orchah Bamidbar", "My Yiddishe Momme", and "Tzena". Plus, the CD features 4 bonus tracks – all single edits of tunes on the album! CD

It's hard to overstate the influence of Max Roach and Clifford Brown on the west coast scene of the 50s – as the two players helped draw out the bop sound of LA that was quickly getting lost in the cool jazz shuffle of the time, and gave it a strength and focus that not only made the group one of the strongest of the time, but which also sparked new life and a hardbop generation on the LA scene! This classic set of live recordings was one of the first great Brown/Roach moments – recorded during 2 different concerts by Gene Norman Presents, and featuring some great tenor work by LA giants Teddy Edwards and Harold Land, plus some piano by the amazing "sideways" player Carl Perkins, as well as Bud Powell's brother Richie – a key factor of the group's studio recordings on Mercury, and a player who would perish in the same accident that took the life of Clifford Brown. This CD features the full versions of most of the tracks that have been highly edited on the GNP albums over the years – including "Clifford's Axe", "Sunset Eyes", "Jordu", "I Can't Get Started", "Parisian Thoroughfare", and "Tenderly". A few edits persist in a few parts, as the unedited tapes appear to be lost – but many of the tracks are in nice longish versions! CD

Randy plays beautifully on a set of blues-inspired tracks arranged by Melba Liston – working with horn players that include Teddy Edwards, Benny Powell, Wallace Roney, and Hamiet Bluiett to come up with some really striking tunes that differ greatly from a lot of his other classic work! Johnny Copeland makes an unfortunate appearance on vocals and guitar on the first track – but once you get past that number and its cliched approach to blues, the CD's a great one. (And heck, we'll be honest – we start this album on track 2!) Titles include "Sad Beauty Blues", "Chalabati Blues", "In Memory Of", "Harvard Blues", "Volcano", and "The Nafs". CD

2 albums recorded by Esther in the years before she broke into big fame on the Kudu label. Burnin is a stunning live set that marked Esther's move from being a loud young R&B singer into an older, more mature interpreter of material in a more jazzy style. She's backed here by a good group that includes Jack Wilson on piano, Richard Tee on organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – and she moves through a heartbreaking set of material that heralds her later 70's recordings for Kudu. Tracks include "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream", "And I Love Him", "Shangri-La", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". Confessin points back at Esther's earlier career in R&B, but has a nice jazzy finish – thanks to players like Sonny Criss, Teddy Edwards, and Herb Ellis – and the record also features a few more sides from the Burnin sessions at Freddie Jett's Nightclub in LA. Titles include "Romance In The Dark", "I Wonder", "I'm Getting Long Alright", "In The Evenin", and "I Love Paris". Due to time limit restrictions, the CD excludes the cuts "I'm Getting Long Alright" and "It Could Happen To You" from the LPs. CD

A fantastic 70s album from the great Sarah Vaughan – maybe one of her best small combo sessions of the decade – and a set that also makes room for some great instrumental contributions too! As you'd guess from the title, the group features the great Jimmy Rowles on piano – having a bit of time in the limelight at this point in his career, and graced with a relaxedly emotive style that's perfect for the similar qualities in Sarah's voice! Yet it's also the whole package on the set that makes things great – as Rowles group features wonderful work on bass from Monty Budwig, maybe some of his best performances on record – plus drums from Donald Bailey, tenor from Teddy Edwards, and trumpet from Al Aarons. These players never get in the way of Sarah, but do a true job of accompanying the singer, while inspiring her to her best with their own top talents – on titles that include "That Face", "Folks Who Live On The Hill", "A House Is Not A Home", "That Sunday That Summer", and "Morning Star". CD

A great example of the cool, classy swing that Benny Carter hit in the 1960s – a groove that was more regularly brought to backings for standout singers of the time, but which also works beautifully here in an instrumental mode! Carter's alto sax is at the top of the charts, but the album's almost more of an ensemble effort overall – with great reed work from Bud Shank on alto, Teddy Edwards and Bill Perkins on tenor, Bill Hood on baritone sax, Don Abney on piano, Barney Kessell and Mundell Lowe on guitar – all coming together as kind of a mini-large ensemble – never that big in the number of players, but grooving with a great sense of poise, class, and soul. There's a number of originals written by Carter, including "Doozy", "Prohibido", "Come On Back", "Rock Bottom", "We Were In Love", and "Titmouse" CD

It's hard to overstate the influence of Max Roach and Clifford Brown on the west coast scene of the 50s – as the two players helped draw out the bop sound of LA that was quickly getting lost in the cool jazz shuffle of the time, and gave it a strength and focus that not only made the group one of the strongest of the time, but which also sparked new life and a hardbop generation on the LA scene! This classic set of live recordings was one of the first great Brown/Roach moments – recorded during 2 different concerts by Gene Norman Presents, and featuring some great tenor work by LA giants Teddy Edwards and Harold Land, plus some piano by the amazing "sideways" player Carl Perkins, as well as Bud Powell's brother Richie – a key factor of the group's studio recordings on Mercury, and a player who would perish in the same accident that took the life of Clifford Brown. Titles include "Parisian Thoroughfare", "I Can't Get Started", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Jordu". CD

A totally wonderful session from bassist Leroy Vinnegar – different than some of his other, straighter sides – in that the lineup here is full of wonderful up-and-coming players, plus some key cool forces on the LA scene! The album features vibes from a very young Roy Ayers – working here on one of his first sessions ever – and also features trumpet from Freddy Hill, piano from Mike Melvoin, tenor from Teddy Edwards, and both piano and vibes from Victor Feldman – topped with drums from either Ron Jefferson or Milt Turner, depending on the tracks. Tunes are nice and long, and include some great originals – in a lineup that includes "Restin In Jail", "Motherland", "Hard To Find", "Down Under", "For Carl", and "Wheelin & Dealin". CD

Howard McGhee and his trumpet team up with pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and Shelley Manne on drums for this great early 60s session. The record features the McGhee original "Demon Chase" and two Teddy Edwards songs, "Sunset Eyes" and his salute to McGhee "Maggie's Back in Town." McGhee himself pays tribute to one of his favorite trumpet players, Clifford Brown by doing Brown's "Brownie Speaks." Other titles include "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," "Willow Weep for Me" and "Summertime." CD

Stellar stellar set by this great vibes player! Recorded with the same high quality as all the Ubiquity releases, and a loving tribute to a great player who hasn't had his due in many many years. At first, we thought "big deal, another Dave Pike record. It's new, and it's probably a lot weaker than his old stuff." It's not, though, and although it doesn't have as many funky electric tracks as his MPS releases, it's a beatiful set of modal jazzy tracks with excellent playing throughout, and a wonderful sound all the way through. Jane Getz plays piano, Teddy Edwards plays tenor, Milcho Leviev plays piano, and Anthony Wilson plays guitar. Nice one, Ubiquity! CD

Features Teddy Edwards on tenor and Phil Ranelin on trombone! CD

One of the hippest Jimmy Smith albums of the early 70s – a lean and mean, down and dirty, back to basics session for Verve – one that's got plenty of grit in the grooves! L:ike the Root Down album, this set is recorded live with a very stretched out feel – tracks that take Jimmy Smith back to the more open-ended styles of his roots, and get past some of the slicker notes of later years. There's not as much heavy funk as on Root Down, but the sound is still equally great – with plenty of sharp edges on the instrumentation, which includes Jimmy's Hammond alongside bass from Leroy Vinnegar, tenor from Teddy Edwards, guitar from Ray Crawford, drums from Donald Dean, and congas from Victor Pantoja. One title – "Blues For 3 + 1" – hits a great little groove that's almost bossa-funky – and other tracks include "Absolutely Funky", "Lolita", "Bluesmith", and "Mournin Wes". CD

A seminal moment on the west coast scene of the 60s – a record that has the great Gerald Wilson pulling together some of the best elements that were going on at the time, and also pointing the way towards changes to come in the future! The set's not the first effort by Wilson on record, but it's maybe one of his most classic – and begins with superb selection of members for the ensemble – a lineup that includes Carmell Jones on trumpet, Lou Blackburn on trombone, Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenors, Joe Pass on guitar, and the great Jack Wilson on piano! But key to the set are the rhythms – with the wonderful bassist Jimmy Bond setting up a groove that seems to pull out the best from drummer Mel Lewis – as the pair help ground the larger group with a rock-solid groove that keeps things soulful throughout! Nearly every track's an original, and the album includes Wilson's killer track "Viva Tirado" – a tight jazzy stepper that was covered by many artists over the years, most famously El Chicano – with a Latin-tinged groove that really opens up a new sound in Los Angeles jazz! There's lots of other great cuts too – including "Moment of Truth", "Latino", "Josefina", and "Patterns". CD

Jazzier stuff than usual for Jimmy – but that's probably because he's got backing group a group that includes Gerald Wilson, Teddy Edwards, Jimmy Allen, Hampton Hawes, and Harry Edison. David Axelrod – believe it or not – was the album's producer, and although the set sounds nothing like his later work at Capitol, the quality of the session shows his care with jazz from the early days onward. Titles include "All That's Good", "There's Good Rockin Tonight", "SK Blues", "Sweet's Blues", and "When I've Been Drinkin". CD

Music from Joey DeFrancesco, Randy Johnston, Houston Person & Joey Defrancesco, Jimmy Ponder, Charles Earland, Irene Reid, Teddy Edwards, Irene Reid, and Red Holloway. CD