Edward Isaac Bickert - jazz guitarist (born
29 November 1932 in Hochfeld, MB).
Canada's best-known jazz guitarist,
Ed Bickert developed a unique, understated style of considerable harmonic sophistication.
Rooted in bebop, his intuitive, pianistic approach is characterized by lyrical and rhythmic ease, a deceptively complex simplicity and a generally muted tone. He is noted for his work with
Ron Collier,
Rob McConnell,
Don Thompson and
Moe Koffman, and achieved international prominence through his work in the mid-1970s with
American saxophonist
Paul Desmond. A
Member of the
Order of Canada, Bickert won a
Juno Award and multiple
National Jazz Awards, and played on dozens of Juno- and Grammy-nominated and award-winning recordings
.
In the 1950s, Bickert was a member of
Norman Symonds' jazz octet and also played with Ron Collier (1954–66) and with
Phil Nimmons (
1957–70). He played in most of Moe Koffman's successive jazz groups beginning in
1956, and in the
Boss Brass beginning in
1968. He also did a great deal of studio work in
Toronto until the early
1970s, and performed intermittently with the groups of
Peter Appleyard and
Hagood Hardy, among others, as well as in duos with Don Thompson and Boss Brass bandleader Rob McConnell.
Formed in
1974, Bickert’s own trio — with
Thompson (bass) and
Terry Clarke (drums) — played widely throughout
Canada in clubs, at festivals and on
CBC Radio. In
1979, the trio played the
Bracknell, Northsea and
Montreux jazz festivals during a
European tour sponsored by
Radio Canada International (see
Music at the CBC). During the 1970s and early
1980s, Bickert (with Thompson,
Clarke and others) accompanied many American jazz stars at the Toronto club
Bourbon Street, including Paul Desmond,
Chet Baker,
Red Norvo,
Milt Jackson and
Frank Rosolino.
His work with
Desmond from 1974 to
1976 first brought Bickert international attention. In 1979, he toured with
Jackson in
Japan. During the 1980s, Bickert appeared on international stages with Koffman, Appleyard and the Boss Brass, and at several festivals in
Concord, California. He signed with the
Concord Jazz label in
1983 and recorded numerous albums, including several as a sideman for such artists as
Rosemary Clooney and
Benny Carter. In
1987 he returned to Japan with the
Concord All Stars. In Toronto during the 1980s, Bickert also performed and recorded in a quartet with tenor saxophonist
Rick Wilkins or guitarist
Lorne Lofsky and various bassists and drummers.
After injuring both of his arms in a fall in the mid-1990s, Bickert took time off to recover before returning to playing and touring. He contributed to
Mike Murley’s
Juno Award-winning albums Murley, Bickert &
Wallace:
Live at the
Senator (
2000) and
Test of Time (
2012; recorded in
1999), before retiring his
Fender Telecaster in
2002.
Bickert taught briefly at the
Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto during the early
1960s, at the
Banff Centre for the Arts 1978–80, and at the
University of New Brunswick Chamber Music and
Jazz Festival in 1978 and
1982. He was a formative influence on a generation of Toronto jazz guitarists that includes Lorne Lofsky,
Roy Patterson, Rob Piltch, Reg Schwager and
Geoff Young.
Awards:
Best Jazz Recording (
Sackville 4005),
Juno Awards (
1980)
Member, Order of Canada (
1996)
Various, National Jazz Awards
...(
Historica Canada).
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Tracklist:
01.
You're In Love With
Someone (
J.V.Heusen/J.Burke)...(00:00)
02.
Bye Bye Baby (J.Styne/L.
Robin)...(04:21)
03.
Barbados (
Charlie Parker)...(08:02)
04.
It's Time (
Horace Silver)...(12:14)
05.
Nobody Else But Me (J.Kern/O.Hammerstein)...(16:17)
06.
Things Are Getting Better (
Cannonball Adderley)...(21:15)
07.A
Flower Is a Lovesome
Thing (
Billy Strayhorn)...(25:50)
08.Pensativa (
Clare Fischer)...(31:23)
09.Keeping
Myself for You (S.
Clare/V.Youmans)...(36:
09)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Personnel:
1.Ed Bickert - guitar
2.
Dave McKenna - piano
3.
Steve Wallace - bass
4.
Jake Hanna - drums.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Genre:Jazz
Recorded:at
Coast Recorders,
San Francisco;
August 1983.
Released:
1984
Label:Concord Jazz(CJ-232)
Art Direction -
Dick Hendler
Engineer [Recording &
Remix Engineer] -
Phil Edwards
Liner Notes -
Ira Gitler
Mastered By -
George Horn
Photography By [
Cover Photo] -
William G. Davey
Producer -
Carl E.
Jefferson
Recorded By - Phil Edwards.
- published: 15 May 2016
- views: 184