Teddy Edwards: Midnight Creeper (HighNote)
Though not as widely known to the general public as he ought to be, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards stands as something of a cult hero among jazz connoisseurs. His newest release helps explain why. The breathy, bluesy tone on the title cut and the plangent lyric lines he produces on “Sensitive,” both originals, mark Edwards as one of the more expressive soloists in jazz. At 73, Edwards isn’t trying to impress listeners but, rather, to disarm them. With warm support from pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Chip White (as well as trumpeter Virgil Jones on a few tracks), Edwards is utterly in his element. The plush and romantic sound of the recording also has something to do with the engineer, the venerable Rudy Van Gelder, who has given Edwards precisely the sonic ambience he needs.
