Volume 24 Issue 7 - April 2019

Beat by Beat | Jazz Notes
R.I.P. Ed Bickert,
And Other Matters
STEVE WALLACE
As all Canadian jazz fans know, guitarist Ed Bickert passed away
on February 28 at the age of 86. A bit of time has elapsed by now
and his death has been marked by numerous eulogies in the jazz
and mainstream press, both here and abroad. I wrote a remembrance
of him on my blogsite on March 6 which some WholeNote readers
have probably read. For those who haven’t and are interested, it’s
available here: wallacebass.com/so-long-ed-a-remembrance/
Despite all this coverage, it’s only right that Ed should be remembered
in the jazz column of this publication; he was that important
and his death is a huge loss that is still reverberating, just as his magically
voiced chords once did. Judging by the many comments left after
my post about Ed, the scores of emails I have received, not to mention
perfect strangers who have come up to me in clubs to share their
memories and stories of Ed and how much they admired him as a
person and musician, he will not soon be forgotten, if ever. He withdrew
from playing in late 2000, yet the huge body of work he left
behind, both live and on recordings from the mid-50s on, made a
lasting impact on both musicians and fans. As he would have put it,
he was an “Ed-biquitous” presence on the Toronto jazz scene: with
Phil Nimmons, on the CBC; with Rob McConnell (in duo, small groups
and with The Boss Brass); with Moe Koffman, his own groups, the
Barry Elmes Quintet, the Mike Murley Trio; accompanying countless
US jazz luminaries here and abroad; and much more.
He was a true original and Toronto jazz fans knew how great he was
for years, but word began to leak out south of the border by the early
70s. I was at Bourbon St. as a young jazz fan the first night he played
there with Paul Desmond, the first of several such engagements. I
clearly remember the altoist’s head swivelling slowly toward Ed as he
played some of those penetrating, glow-in-the-dark chords which so
often punctuated his solos like little gems. Desmond’s jaw dropped
ever so slightly – he was a subtle man, not given to overt gestures –
and he grinned and shook his head slowly with his eyes closed. The
thought bubble over his head would have read “Oh, my God, this guy
is a jewel.”
Indeed he was, and we know the rest. Desmond admired Ed’s
playing so much he took him to New York to record Pure Desmond,
one of the finest albums of his career and one which brought him out
of retirement. Such was the inspiration of playing with Ed; and the
impact of this belated showcasing of Ed’s playing with such a star,
universally well-received, boosted the standing of Canadian jazz and
musicians almost overnight. Before long, Canadian players such as
Don Thompson, Bernie Senensky, Dave Young and Terry Clarke were
being celebrated and recognized by Americans. Without saying much,
Ed kept the bar high and led by example through his understated but
powerful playing. Quiet though he was, his inspiration of, and influence
on, several generations of Canadian jazz musicians cannot be
overstated, and continues to this day. His playing was inimitable, yet
the let’s-keep-it-real musical values he projected became an integral
part of the jazz aesthetic around these parts even well after he retired.
When Ed Bickert was around, either on the bandstand or in the audience,
you sharpened up, brother, and played your best.
It’s a big loss for us all and Ed Bickert can’t be replaced, but he can
be remembered and will be. He lives on through other musicians,
his many fine recordings and the countless stories that are told about
him. Nobody gets out of this saloon alive, but in our sadness over his
passing we must be grateful that he was with us for so long and left
behind so much good music and so many nice memories. Thanks for
everything Ed, and rest in peace.
Ed Bickert with Don Thompson (bass) in the late 1970s
Mezzetta
Ed Bickert was a jazz institution and I want to touch on several others
which crossed my mind lately. One is Mezzetta, the excellent Middle
Eastern restaurant on St. Clair Ave. W. which has featured live jazz
on Wednesday evenings since soon after opening in 1991. One night
a week may not seem like much, but the café is small and primarily
a restaurant, yet is also a wonderful place to play partly because of
its tininess. Its commitment to presenting jazz in a respectful and
uncompromising way has been steadfast for over 25 years, making it
an integral part of the Toronto jazz mosaic. Mezzetta is worth going
to for the food alone, which consists of mezze – the Middle Eastern
version of tapas – a choice of 40 small dishes priced at five dollars
each which offers a wide variety of flavours and textures for vegetarians
and meat-eaters alike. I’ve probably had everything on the menu
over the years and it’s all authentic, delicious and very consistent in
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thewholenote.com April 2019 | 39