I honestly don't know why people's minds don't explode out of their skulls when they hear Ed... in my top ten favorite Lps from five decade collection is "PURE DESMOND"- like fellow below- it's simply mind shattering! Ed is Bill Evans on Guitar.....
Gawwwddd! Man can play some guitar. Masterclass comping in session asides from the smooth solo lines.Scary. The story about him sitting in with Tal Farlow in Toronto is legendary.
What a great observation by grtplyr013, that Bickert thinks like Bill Evans on guitar. I never knew why Ed wasn't hugely famous outside Canada, even outside Toronto, for that matter. One of the true giants.
Ed recorded great stuff. Sadly, half of it isn't available anymore. May I suggest, Murley, Bickert and Wallace...2002 Live at the Senator, or 2013 Test of Time. Great stuff!
He reminds me of swing-era players in that regard, especially the more melodic horn players like Lester Young. He could play bop lines, but I think he preferred to play things that had a more vocal quality, things you could almost sing without tripping over your tongue. That said, there are plenty of gifted jazz guitar soloists, and plenty of horn and piano players who just play licks and patterns.
He worked miracles with his plain old solidbody, but back in the late 1950s and the 1960s, he did play hollow-body "jazz" guitars. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, his work as a studio guitarist led him to using the Telecaster, and he never went back. He switched out the single-coil neck pickup for a humbucker in 1978 (according to his guitar repair guy in Toronto, who did the work). So "Pure Desmond", the album that put him on the map, outside of Canada, was recorded with a stock Telecaster neck pickup. Goes to show the sound really was all in his hands, as most casual listeners wouldn't be able to tell his sound apart from before and after the humbucker swap.
The drummer is Buff Allen, BTW. (and Neil Swainson on bass, Rick Wilkins on tenor, as noted elsewhere). Beautifully made, tasty music.... Ed Bickert is alive and well and healthy, just retired from playing. And that's a loss for all of us.
@hmengland41 I agree that it's a loss for us that Ed Bickert has retired, but since way too many jazzmen have died too young from burnout, I'd prefer that Mr. Bickert has a happy old age than that he goes too soon. It's not like he hasn't left us a treasure of great recordings already.
@HERB4441 I love Ed's special preferences of chords and chord progressions since I heard his Toronto Sessions recordings with PAUL DESMOND and Don Thompson. In my opinion, these few recordings not long before Desmond's untimely death are the ULTIMATE of his musical lifetime work, more intense and imaginative, sweeter than most of what he did earlier. Maybe Ed inspired him. I got most of those CDs, a little treasure, because even Amazon offers none of them at all :-(( Thanx HERB4441
He's on 5 of her albums, and each one has a pair of vocal/guitar duets. Those 10 duet tracks are wonderful, and would make a nice album by themselves. He's also laying down great rhythm guitar and solos on the band tracks of course.
Nice quartet. I like the way the drummer has his cymbals up high to make them more accessable. Is this Joe Lavano on tenor? The sax is great and adds a lot to the guitar phrasing. Bring back this kind of jazz to nighclubs please.......
I honestly don't know why people's minds don't explode out of their skulls when they hear Ed... in my top ten favorite Lps from five decade collection is "PURE DESMOND"- like fellow below- it's simply mind shattering!
Ed is Bill Evans on Guitar.....
Totally agree. 100%
I have all ways admired the way he just bucks tradition. 'I don't care what you think, my trusty old tele works just fine".
Gawwwddd! Man can play some guitar. Masterclass comping in session asides from the smooth solo lines.Scary. The story about him sitting in with Tal Farlow in Toronto is legendary.
ART OF JAZZ...put this in a time capsule...
What a great observation by grtplyr013, that Bickert thinks like Bill Evans on guitar.
I never knew why Ed wasn't hugely famous outside Canada, even outside Toronto, for that matter. One of the true giants.
SUPERB!!! No matter how many listenings. I think Ed is the greatest guitar player ever.
The king of telecaster!
the best jazz guitar tone in history........his phrasing, fell, time everything is done with taste.....love ed
What a nice sound on the Tele Truly great player
Too cool!
Thank you for sharing this videos....more, more, more, more!!!!
Please
Bravo more Ed please!
Ed recorded great stuff. Sadly, half of it isn't available anymore. May I suggest, Murley, Bickert and Wallace...2002 Live at the Senator, or 2013 Test of Time. Great stuff!
Ed Bickert is great!!!!
Too kool
Happy 79th birthday Mr.Bickert ! You are the best !
MAGIC!
Every time I see Ed Bickert play I think about buying a Tele …. then I come to my senses.
one of the few if not the only jazz guitars who plays solos that don't sound like scales or lines...just solos...
He reminds me of swing-era players in that regard, especially the more melodic horn players like Lester Young. He could play bop lines, but I think he preferred to play things that had a more vocal quality, things you could almost sing without tripping over your tongue.
That said, there are plenty of gifted jazz guitar soloists, and plenty of horn and piano players who just play licks and patterns.
whoooaaaaaaaaa ed videos! this is such a treat, he's unsurpassed in the style
What a find what a great player,post more if you can .
love it, and he never spent on d angelicos, gibsons and fancy guitar, jazz is on his fingers, no doubth!
He worked miracles with his plain old solidbody, but back in the late 1950s and the 1960s, he did play hollow-body "jazz" guitars. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, his work as a studio guitarist led him to using the Telecaster, and he never went back. He switched out the single-coil neck pickup for a humbucker in 1978 (according to his guitar repair guy in Toronto, who did the work). So "Pure Desmond", the album that put him on the map, outside of Canada, was recorded with a stock Telecaster neck pickup. Goes to show the sound really was all in his hands, as most casual listeners wouldn't be able to tell his sound apart from before and after the humbucker swap.
Yes!!!
Pure Desmond is a wonderful album!!
Ed is great!
Beautiful, thanks for posting.
Way cool, BABY!
This aired on "Jazz Canada"
The drummer is Buff Allen, BTW. (and Neil Swainson on bass, Rick Wilkins on tenor, as noted elsewhere). Beautifully made, tasty music....
Ed Bickert is alive and well and healthy, just retired from playing. And that's a loss for all of us.
excellent!
I love his voicings
king of comp
Deep swinging!
@hmengland41 I agree that it's a loss for us that Ed Bickert has retired, but since way too many jazzmen have died too young from burnout, I'd prefer that Mr. Bickert has a happy old age than that he goes too soon. It's not like he hasn't left us a treasure of great recordings already.
♥♥♥
@HERB4441
I love Ed's special preferences of chords and chord progressions since I heard his Toronto Sessions recordings with PAUL DESMOND and Don Thompson.
In my opinion, these few recordings not long before Desmond's untimely death
are the ULTIMATE of his musical lifetime work, more intense and imaginative, sweeter than most of what he did earlier. Maybe Ed inspired him.
I got most of those CDs, a little treasure, because even Amazon offers none of them at all :-((
Thanx HERB4441
Take it for sure my man... Ed inspired him most than ever in his life!!!! Both were amazing at that time
I totally agree this was Desmond's best❤
the stuff he did w/ Rosemary Clooney is great too!
He's on 5 of her albums, and each one has a pair of vocal/guitar duets. Those 10 duet tracks are wonderful, and would make a nice album by themselves. He's also laying down great rhythm guitar and solos on the band tracks of course.
wow
How Smart He plays !
I have Tele. No way I can get this tone out of it.
a very young neil swainson on bass! Nice!
Does this make the Telecaster the most adaptable guitar ever? Just sayin…
feh! now I gotta take lessons.. (no, but Ed's the real deal..taste, tone , and t.....elecaster)
Nice quartet. I like the way the drummer has his cymbals up high to make them more accessable. Is this Joe Lavano on tenor? The sax is great and adds a lot to the guitar phrasing. Bring back this kind of jazz to nighclubs please.......
Rick Wilkins on tenor.
Meh...