Teddy Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was born in Jackson, MS. He started to play alto sax as a child and later changed to tenor when he was invited to join Howard McGhee’s group in the late 1940s. Since 1945 he has been living in Los Angeles, where he has played and recorded with the bands led by Benny Carter and Gerald Wilson. Edwards is also known for his scores for TV and radio. Edwards toured in Europe frequently in the 70’s and 80’s. This recording was made late 1980 for SteepleChase. Although the pianist Kenny Drew and Edwards have long known each other, this is the only recording the two friends made together. “Edwards is a wonderful and distinctive tenor player, with a smooth tone in the middle and lower register, a bit brassier in the upper, and a great sense of swing. His work is replete with melodic ideas, a gestural sense of variation in dynamics, and a lot of freedom with the beat — here relaxed and behind, there right on top of it or a little ahead.” (Larry Koenigsberg – AAJ) “His sole SteepleChase outing found Teddy in his prime and in excellent company. The outcome was among his finest quartet sets - no hokum but simply pure jazz all the way.” (Mark Gardner)