Bickert and Thompson At the Garden Party

Steve Killingsworth · #1 10-26-2008, 06:30 AM

Ron Carter and Jim Hall seem to get most of the press, but from my limited perspective, Don Thompson and Ed Bickert are just as good on this recording. Thompson just seems to drop just the right note in the right place at the right time, and Bickert makes some beautiful music on his old Telecaster.

It's well worth checking out.

Paul Warburton · #2 10-26-2008, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Killingsworth

Ron Carter and Jim Hall seem to get most of the press, but from my limited perspective, Don Thompson and Ed Bickert are just as good on this recording. Thompson just seems to drop just the right note in the right place at the right time, and Bickert makes some beautiful music on his old Telecaster.

It's well worth checking out.

Hey Steve....
Actually around here, it seems Jim and Red Mitchell get most of our press.
I love Ed and Don and i've had Garden Party for years. I've known Don since I was working with Bill Evans and he was across Broadway with John Handy. ( In San Francisco ) Don visited with me at my home when he was with George Shearing. He and George did some piano duets and as George said, Don CARVED him up. Don, of course is an animal on drums and vibes. Ed comes directly from Jim and Don comes from Red and Scott LaFaro.
I heard at one time that Ed was very sick....any news anybody?

msw · #3 10-26-2008, 12:32 PM

I don't know about being sick, but I do know he has not played for some time. I think that there are two reasons for that; he lost his wife quite suddenly and he had a very bad fall.
There is quite a bit of him on Youtube and it bears out the fact that he was one of the undisputed greats. Somewhat like the late and GREAT Dave McKenna was on piano. Both tremendous talents that didn't seem to get the same level of acclaim that other giants did.

Paul Warburton · #4 10-26-2008, 12:41 PM

Thanks Marshall...I knew there was something up with Ed. I guess I became confused. I can relate to Ed on the loss of his wife. That one tends to suck everything out of you.
Also agree with you about Dave. I was lucky enough to have played with him a couple times.

Steve Killingsworth · #5 10-26-2008, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Hey Steve....
Actually around here, it seems Jim and Red Mitchell get most of our press.

No question about that. Maybe I should have qualified my statement to include a broader listening audience.

Don Thompson is something--To be so good on so many instruments is phenomenal.

From some reading I did on several guitar forums, there is general agreement that Ed has been retired for several years. The disagreement is over why. Some say illness, others say he was injured after falling off a roof and never fully recovered. It seems he is a pretty private so no official websites etc. to give a definitive answer.

neal davis · #6 10-27-2008, 11:13 AM

Ed slipped on some ice, man I used to love watching him play. He is a huge influence to alot of Canadian musicians so much when you are calling a tune at a gig alot of people say, these changes or Ed's changes. As for Don, what a humble man with great talent. When I used to study with him it always killed me how he sounded on every instrument he played, he killed me on piano, bass, vibes and drums, great a quadruple threat.

Paul Warburton · #7 10-27-2008, 11:28 AM

Don told me this story....He was doing one of those jazz cruises and they had a bunch of fantastic drummers. They had a big jam at the end of each night.
One day, he found a note under his door from Mel Torme. It read: If you play drums again tonight, you're a dead man.