Help Document the Legacy of Ed Bickert – Memories and Materials Wanted

[beyondthefrets]

Hi everyone,

My name is Zakk Jones. I’m a professional jazz guitarist and educator based in Ohio, and I’ve been doing an extensive research project on the life and music of Ed Bickert. A big part of my work is a deep dive into his playing, recordings, and influence—some of which I share on my YouTube channel “Beyond The Frets,” where I’ve posted detailed analyses, transcriptions, and breakdown videos focused specifically on Ed.

As part of this project I’ve conducted many interviews with some of Ed’s closest collaborators and colleagues, but I’m always looking to speak with more people who knew him, worked with him, or heard him regularly. I’m very happy to receive recommendations or introductions to others I should talk to.

I’m currently looking to connect with anyone who has personal anecdotes or memories of Ed (on or off the bandstand), photographs, rare or private recordings, radio/TV captures, video, gig posters, or any other related ephemera from across his career. This could include club dates in Canada, tour stops, festival performances, studio sessions, or informal/home recordings.

If you’re open to sharing anything—or even just pointing me toward someone who might have materials or stories—I would be very grateful. I’m happy to properly credit any contributions and to discuss how any audio or visual materials might be used or archived. Feel free to reply here, or contact me directly at:


[email protected]
And if you’d like to get a sense of my work and approach, you can find my Ed Bickert content here:
Beyond The Frets - YouTube


Thank you for helping preserve and document Ed’s legacy.

—Zakk

[Rob MacKillop]

Great first post, Zakk. I can't help you, but want to say it is a worthy cause, and I look forward to what you and others uncover. Best wishes for the project.

[Cunamara]

By the time I even found out about Ed, he was already 10 years into retirement.

Have you seen Ed’s son’s interview videos with Ed on Vimeo?

[sgcim]

I just learned that Ed was on Marian McPartland's show "Piano Jazz" so you might want to look for that. She always did great interviews with her guests.
There was also a Toronto radio show host named Ted O'Reilly who did a lot to help Ed's jazz career out by having him, Terry, and Don on his radio show playing live concerts. I have no contact info on him, but I'm sure a search would turn up something.

[pcjazz]

I just learned that Ed was on Marian McPartland's show "Piano Jazz" so you might want to look for that. She always did great interviews with her guests.
There was also a Toronto radio show host named Ted O'Reilly who did a lot to help Ed's jazz career out by having him, Terry, and Don on his radio show playing live concerts. I have no contact info on him, but I'm sure a search would turn up something.

Ted is still around. I saw him a week ago at a big band concert at the Monarch Tavern on Clinton Street in Toronto. I haven’t got his contact info but can follow up if the op wants.

[pcjazz]

OP should also contact Toronto guitarists Lorne Lofsky and Robert Pilch as well as bassists Neil Swainson, Don Thompson and Steve Wallace.

[mr. beaumont]

Nothing to offer, but following closely. Ed was...an absolute treasure.

[BMoore]

Anyone know how to listen to or find a copy of Ed's appearance on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz? Looks like it was broadcast October 23, 1993. It's not in the NPR archive. I found some info here: Jazzrealities: NPR Piano Jazz 2 1990-1999

[Mick-7]

Anyone know how to listen to or find a copy of Ed's appearance on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz? Looks like it was broadcast October 23, 1993. It's not in the NPR archive. I found some info here: Jazzrealities: NPR Piano Jazz 2 1990-1999

Only a fraction of McPartland's many shows are on the NPR website, I don't think the Ed Bickert one is there but there are a few other guitarists, for example, this mediocre player....

Jim Hall On Piano Jazz - NPR [ Here's the download link: Jim Hall -1-24-14 ]

Found this: JazzProfiles: RIP, Ed Bickert The great Canadian jazz guitarist died on 2/28/2019

[Cunamara]

Anyone know how to listen to or find a copy of Ed's appearance on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz? Looks like it was broadcast October 23, 1993. It's not in the NPR archive. I found some info here: Jazzrealities: NPR Piano Jazz 2 1990-1999

As laconic as Ed was, I would love to hear how the interview portion went!

[Litterick]

Anyone know how to listen to or find a copy of Ed's appearance on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz? Looks like it was broadcast October 23, 1993. It's not in the NPR archive. I found some info here: Jazzrealities: NPR Piano Jazz 2 1990-1999

Ken Dryden from Ooltewah, Tennessee has a copy he wants to share: on Organissimo.

[Tal_175]

Here is a recent Phd thesis about Ed Bickert published in Toronto. You might be able to get in touch with the author:
https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/s...4d48dc/content

[Tal_175]

Also in this podcast a Toronto guitarist talks about having written a Phd thesis about Ed. At the time Ed was alive so he was actually able to interview him:

[Cunamara]

Wow, there are apparently two PhD dissertations written about Ed, since the authors names as given are different.

I've always thought Ed deserved some kind of systematic documentation of what he did, although I was thinking more along the lines of a Mel Bay "Ed Bickert Guitar Style" book than scholarly dissertations. The one in post #12 is 355 pages...

[pcjazz]

Wow, there are apparently two PhD dissertations written about Ed, since the authors names as given are different..

Ben Bishop says in the interview that his is a short-form thesis (50 pages) and that it has not been published. I couldn’t find it in the Eastman recent dissertations list.

[beyondthefrets]

Woah, totally missed these messages. Thanks cats. I shouldn't play coy - I'm writing the first full-length biography on Ed and there will be a full length companion piece that is strictly musical analysis & transcriptions of his playing in every situation you can imagine. As with all of my teaching, I focus very heavily on delivering information in a way that guitarists can actually digest and use in real life, versus a purely austere academic approach. Also, there's tabs

I got the piano jazz recording thanks to Ken Dryden a few months back....one of the best finds I've procured so far. It looks like Ken is willing to share, so I'm happy to do so as well if you message me.

I've talked to Lorne, Don Thompson, Terry Clarke, Neil Swainson, Billy Mays, Ron Carter, Mike Murley, Rick Wilkins + many more, and another boatload on the way.

Yesterday alone I got to spend my afternoon talking to Gene Perla and Chuck Israels (separate interviews...) It's very clear that there is a feverish yearning for anything related to Ed.

As he quipped after being a member of every jazz album nominated for a Juno one particular year

"I guess I'm just ed-biquitous"

[beyondthefrets]

Ted is still around. I saw him a week ago at a big band concert at the Monarch Tavern on Clinton Street in Toronto. I haven’t got his contact info but can follow up if the op wants.

I've Got Ted's info, we have emailed a few times now. I also have the Piano Jazz broadcast. The duos Ed plays with a young bassist (can't remember his name ATM) are incredible. It was recorded in Canada.

[ikusan]

Woah, totally missed these messages. Thanks cats. I shouldn't play coy - I'm writing the first full-length biography on Ed and there will be a full length companion piece that is strictly musical analysis & transcriptions of his playing in every situation you can imagine. As with all of my teaching, I focus very heavily on delivering information in a way that guitarists can actually digest and use in real life, versus a purely austere academic approach. Also, there's tabs

I got the piano jazz recording thanks to Ken Dryden a few months back....one of the best finds I've procured so far. It looks like Ken is willing to share, so I'm happy to do so as well if you message me.

I've talked to Lorne, Don Thompson, Terry Clarke, Neil Swainson, Billy Mays, Ron Carter, Mike Murley, Rick Wilkins + many more, and another boatload on the way.

Yesterday alone I got to spend my afternoon talking to Gene Perla and Chuck Israels (separate interviews...) It's very clear that there is a feverish yearning for anything related to Ed.

As he quipped after being a member of every jazz album nominated for a Juno one particular year

Wow, this is very exciting! Looking forward to it!

[Jazzgtr335]

I'm sure this isn't of much use, but Tal Farlow makes a brief mention of Ed Bickert in this interview at about 22:40:

[beyondthefrets]

I'm sure this isn't of much use, but Tal Farlow makes a brief mention of Ed Bickert in this interview at about 22:40:

That's great actually. In the late 50's Tal mentioned that Ed was one of his favorite guitarists even back then!

[Cunamara]

It's always interesting to listen to interviews (or read them) and find that older jazz musicians are frequently very aware of current/popular developments in music. Tal's awareness of and appreciation for at-the-time modern players like Stanley Jordan, Emily Remler, etc., is really interesting. Tal was not a moldy fig, was he? I think were he alive today he'd be very interested in players like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Monder, Jonathan Kreisberg, etc.

I got a little confused during the discussion around Lorne Lofsky and Ed Bickert; did he indicate that Ed was playing an eight string guitar, or was that someone else?

[pcjazz]

I got a little confused during the discussion around Lorne Lofsky and Ed Bickert; did he indicate that Ed was playing an eight string guitar, or was that someone else?

It was Lorne. He commissioned, owned and played an 8-string guitar for a brief period and there is one recorded session (from a jazz vespers performance live broadcast on JazzFM iirc). I had the guitar for a little while. It was a solid body neck-through construction with standard tuning in the middle six and low and high As on the outsides. I asked Lorne who built it and he could not recall precisely but thought it was someone from the 12th Fret repair shop. I loved the responsiveness and sustain of the guitar but found it almost unplayable because the neck was so narrow (minimal string spacing). I passed it on to a local player who liked the neck.

[Cunamara]

Cool story! I gotta tell you, man, this forum just never ceases to amaze me.

[starjasmine]

Welcome, Zakk! Your YouTube channel is a great resource. Is your Patreon channel still active?

[beyondthefrets]

Welcome, Zakk! Your YouTube channel is a great resource. Is your Patreon channel still active?

Thanks so much! Unfortunately not - my youtube is the only place where I will post consistent guitar/educational/bickert content for the foreseeable future.