Editing Harry Edison (section)

==Biography==
Edison was born in [[Columbus, Ohio]], United States.<ref name="Larkin50"/> He spent his early childhood in [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], Kentucky, being introduced to music by an uncle. After moving back to Columbus at the age of twelve, the young Edison began playing the trumpet with local bands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/music/107/harry_edison_e000107.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116002130/http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/music/107/harry_edison_e000107.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |title=An interview with, a biography of, albums and CDs by the legendary jazz trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison |first=Jean-Michel |last=Reisser |website=Cosmopolis.ch |date=June 22, 2009 }}</ref>

In 1933, he became a member of the [[Jeter-Pillars Orchestra]] in [[Cleveland]].<ref name="Larkin50"/> Afterwards, he played with the [[Mills Blue Rhythm Band]] and [[Lucky Millinder]].<ref name="Larkin50"/> In 1937, he moved to New York and joined the [[Count Basie]] Orchestra.<ref name="Larkin50"/> His colleagues included [[Buck Clayton]], [[Lester Young]] (who named him "Sweets"), [[Buddy Tate]], [[Freddie Green]], [[Jo Jones]], and other original members of that famous band. Speaking in 1956 with ''[[DownBeat]]'s'' Don Freeman, Edison explained the origin of his nickname:
<blockquote>Well, this happened one day in March back in '37. All of us in the Basie band were sitting around the lobby of the [[Jumpin%27_at_the_Woodside#The_Woodside_Hotel|Woodside Hotel]] in New York. It was snowing outside, and we were waiting for the bus to go on a tour of one-nighters. We were all like brothers in that band. I was kind of the baby of the band and took a lot of the ribbing. So this time Lester Young was joshing me about my 'sweet' style and he said: "We're going to call you 'Sweetie Pie.'" They did, too, for a few months. Then they shortened it to "Sweets." The nickname has kind of lasted a long time.<ref>Freeman, Don (January 25, 1956). [https://archive.org/details/sim_down-beat_1956-01-25_23_2/page/32/mode/2up "After 17 Years, Edison Is Taking Lessons"]. ''Down Beat''. p.&nbsp;33. Retrieved March 1, 2022.</ref></blockquote>

"Sweets" Edison came to prominence as a soloist with the Basie Band and as an occasional composer/arranger for the band.<ref name="Larkin50"/> He also appeared in the 1944 film ''[[Jammin' the Blues]]''.

Edison spent thirteen years with Basie until the band was temporarily disbanded in 1950. Edison thereafter pursued a varied career as leader of his own groups, traveling with [[Jazz at the Philharmonic]] and freelancing with other orchestras.<ref name="Larkin50"/> In the early 1950s, he settled on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] and became a highly sought-after studio musician, making important contributions to recordings by such artists as [[Billie Holiday]], [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Nat King Cole]], [[Billy Daniels]], [[Margaret Whiting]], [[Bing Crosby]] and [[Ella Fitzgerald]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=1999-07-29|title=Obituary: Harry Edison|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-harry-edison-1109279.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220509/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-harry-edison-1109279.html |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |url-access=registration |url-status=live|access-date=2020-08-16|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> He worked closely with the arranger [[Nelson Riddle]], who gave Edison a microphone that was separate from the rest of the trumpet section.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ratliff|first=Ben|date=1999-07-29|title=Harry (Sweets) Edison, 83, Trumpeter for Basie Band, Dies|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/29/us/harry-sweets-edison-83-trumpeter-for-basie-band-dies.html|access-date=2020-08-16|issn=0362-4331|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He made use of a Harmon mute to improvise his solos and obbligatos. In 1956, he recorded the first of three albums with [[Ben Webster]].

According to the ''Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies'', Edison in the 1960s and 1970s continued to work in many orchestras on television shows, including ''Hollywood Palace'' and ''[[The Leslie Uggams Show]]'', specials with Frank Sinatra; prominently featured on the sound track and in the sound track album of the film ''[[Lady Sings the Blues (film)|Lady Sings the Blues]]''. From 1973, Edison acted as Musical Director for [[Redd Foxx]] on theatre dates, at concerts, and in [[Las Vegas]]. He appeared frequently in [[Europe]] and [[Japan]] until shortly before his death. He was the Los Angeles Jazz Society's first Tribute Honoree.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lajazz.org/harry-sweets-edison-1983-and-1992/ |title=Harry "Sweets" Edison, 1983 and 1992 |work=Los Angeles Jazz Society |access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref>

Edison died of [[prostate cancer]] at his home in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 83.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ratliff |first=Ben |title=Harry (Sweets) Edison, 83, Trumpeter for Basie Band, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/29/us/harry-sweets-edison-83-trumpeter-for-basie-band-dies.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 29, 1999}}</ref>