Lester Young took to calling Harry Edison “Sweetie Pie”, referring to his musical style, when both were in the Basie band of the 1930s. This became “Sweets”. The first time I noticed him was in a 1955 album (Tour de Force) in which he teamed up with Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge in a joint effort involving a friendly rivalry, like two sports teams playing a game. Going into the studio and holding your own against the latter two powerhouses is quite a feat but Sweets did it with an unstoppable free flow of melodic ideas. Edison came up in … Continue reading Jazz Birthdays: Harry Edison (1915), Thelonious Monk (1917), Julius Watkins (1921), and Junior Mance (1928)