Eddie Edwards
Encyclopedia
Edwin Branford "Eddie" Edwards (May 22, 1891 – April 9, 1963) was an early jazz
trombonist, best known for his pioneering recordings with the Original Dixieland Jass Band
.
, started playing violin
at age 10, and took up trombone
in addition at 15. He played both instruments professionally, including with the bands of Papa Jack Laine
and Ernest Giardina. In addition to music Edwards played minor-league baseball
and worked as an electrician.
In 1916 he was picked by Alcide Nunez
to go to Chicago, Illinois to play trombone with Johnny Stein
's Jazz Band. With a few changes of personnel this band became the famous Original Dixieland Jazz Band which made the first records
of jazz music in 1917.
He left the band after being drafted into the United States Army
. The O.D.J.B. replaced him with Emile Christian
. Edwards served in the Army from July 1918 to March 1919. After discharge he led a band of his own and worked in the band of Jimmie Durante before returning to the O.D.J.B.
After the breakup the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Edwards again led his own band in New York City
for most of the 1920s. In the early 1930s he retired from music and ran a newspaper
stand and worked as a sport
s coach.
He returned to music when Nick LaRocca
reformed the O.D.J.B. in 1936, playing with them until 1938. He played with other bands including O.D.J.B. alumni Larry Shields
, Tony Sbarbaro
, and J. Russell Robinson
in New York into the 1940s. He continued playing professionally irregularly until shortly before his death in New York City in 1963.
Jazz musician Johnny Wiggs
said that while he'd heard more sophisticated trombone players, he'd "never heard another trombonist who could give a band the rhythmic punch that Edwards could."
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trombonist, best known for his pioneering recordings with the Original Dixieland Jass Band
Original Dixieland Jass Band
The Original Dixieland Jass Band were a New Orleans, Dixieland jazz band that made the first jazz recordings in early 1917. Their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz single ever issued. The group composed and made the first recordings of many jazz standards, the most famous being Tiger Rag...
.
Life and Career
Eddie Edwards was born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, started playing violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
at age 10, and took up trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
in addition at 15. He played both instruments professionally, including with the bands of Papa Jack Laine
Papa Jack Laine
George Vital "Papa Jack" Laine was a pioneering band leader in New Orleans in the years from the Spanish-American War to World War I....
and Ernest Giardina. In addition to music Edwards played minor-league baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and worked as an electrician.
In 1916 he was picked by Alcide Nunez
Alcide Nunez
Alcide Patrick Nunez was an early United States jazz clarinetist. Also known as Yellow Nunez and Al Nunez, he was born in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana of an Isleño family and moved to New Orleans in his childhood.He initially played guitar, then switched to clarinet about 1902...
to go to Chicago, Illinois to play trombone with Johnny Stein
Johnny Stein
John Philip Hountha "Johnny" Stein was an American jazz drummer and bandleader.Stein's surnames are the subject of much confusion; his mother's name was Stein from a previous marriage, and although he was apparently given the last name Hountha, he used Stein professionally...
's Jazz Band. With a few changes of personnel this band became the famous Original Dixieland Jazz Band which made the first records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
of jazz music in 1917.
He left the band after being drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The O.D.J.B. replaced him with Emile Christian
Emile Christian
Emile Joseph Christian was an early jazz trombonist; he also played cornet and string bass....
. Edwards served in the Army from July 1918 to March 1919. After discharge he led a band of his own and worked in the band of Jimmie Durante before returning to the O.D.J.B.
After the breakup the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Edwards again led his own band in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for most of the 1920s. In the early 1930s he retired from music and ran a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
stand and worked as a sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s coach.
He returned to music when Nick LaRocca
Nick LaRocca
Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca , was an early jazz cornetist and trumpeter and the leader of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. He is the composer of one of the most recorded jazz classics of all-time, "Tiger Rag"...
reformed the O.D.J.B. in 1936, playing with them until 1938. He played with other bands including O.D.J.B. alumni Larry Shields
Larry Shields
Lawrence James "Larry" Shields was an early American dixieland jazz clarinetist.Shields was born into an Irish-American family in Uptown New Orleans, on the same block where jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden lived...
, Tony Sbarbaro
Tony Sbarbaro
Antonio Sparbaro, better known as Tony Sbarbaro or Tony Spargo was an American jazz drummer associated with New Orleans jazz. He was the drummer of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band for over 50 years....
, and J. Russell Robinson
J. Russell Robinson
Joseph Russel Robinson was a United States ragtime and dixieland jazz pianist and a composer of jazz, blues, and popular tunes....
in New York into the 1940s. He continued playing professionally irregularly until shortly before his death in New York City in 1963.
Jazz musician Johnny Wiggs
Johnny Wiggs
Johnny Wiggs was a jazz musician and band leader.Born John Wigginton Hyman on in New Orleans, Louisiana, he started his music career on the violin. He soon adopted the cornet and moved to New York for some time before returning to New Orleans...
said that while he'd heard more sophisticated trombone players, he'd "never heard another trombonist who could give a band the rhythmic punch that Edwards could."
Honors
The ODJB 1917 recording of "Darktown Strutter's Ball" on Columbia was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006.Sources
- The ODJB on RedHotJazz Contains .ram files of their vintage recordings.
- Stewart, Jack. "The Original Dixieland Jazz Band's Place in the Development of Jazz." New Orleans International Music Colloquium, 2005.
- Lange, Horst H. Wie der Jazz begann: 1916-1923, von der "Original Dixieland Jazz Band" bis zu King Olivers "Creole Jazz Band". Berlin: Colloquium Verlag, 1991. ISBN 3-7678-0779-3
- Brunn, H.O. The Story of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1960. Reprinted by Da Capo PressDa Capo PressDa Capo Press, is an American publishing company with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, as a division of Plenum Publishers. it had additional offices in offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Emeryville, California...
, 1977. ISBN 0-306-70892-2 - Gracyk, Tim, Frank Hoffmann, and B. Lee Cooper. Popular American Recording Pioneers: 1895-1925. (Haworth Popular Culture). Routledge, 2000.
- Tim's Phonograph's and Old Records: The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB).