Chad Edwards is an interesting personality, not your average jazz musician. His musical journey spans various genres, from rock 'n' roll to funk/fusion and jazz, showcasing his versatility and unique artistic vision.
Early Life and Education
Edwards grew up in Connecticut and played piano as a child, initially drawn to rock 'n' roll. While pursuing his degree in experimental physics, he performed as a keyboardist and composer in a funk/fusion band called ‘Slow Burn.’ They released their first record in 1987 and went on tour of the USA and Japan. In the midst of dividing his time between physics and music, Edwards graduated from Caltech with a Ph. D and found work at the NASA-funded Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. While working at JPL, Edwards met a fellow musician. Jim Lewis was also a JPL engineer.
The Loudermilks and Lou Ford
In their previous music lives leading Lou Ford, Alan and Chad Edwards won praise for their music’s capacity to cut to the emotional chase. The three Lou Ford LPs were colored by the brothers’ shared influences - Louvin Brothers harmonies and Big Star melancholy - and worked in various shades: as mournful pop, bleeding-feedback rockers, broken-man ballads or strutting honky-tonk.
That big break never came. This weekend, the Edwardses (along with Jolene’s Mike Kenerley and Lou Ford’s Shawn Lynch and Jason Atkins) get a second shot with the self-titled debut by their new band the Loudermilks. The release party is Saturday at Snug Harbor.
The Edwards’ songs thrive in that gray space between reality and our expectations; the music is, in the realest sense, about coming to terms with disappointment. That’s what has always given their music its mournful edge and redemptive power.
Read also: The Life of Chad Everett Harris
“We walked away from the groundwork of something that, in the right hands, could’ve been grown into something a lot more substantial,” Chad says.
For Chad, Lou Ford’s demise coincided with the breakup of his first marriage, a one-two gut-punch that helped fuel the haunting “Darkness of Hell” on The Loudermilks. Chad wrote the song for Hard Times Family, the band he formed with Kennerly and Lynch in the wake of Lou Ford’s collapse. Though an LP’s worth of material was recorded, it was never released and the band simply faded away.
“[Hard Times Family] for me was a recovery process; I had to have something to focus my life on because most of it had gone away all at once,” he says. “It was a growing experience, too - I’d never fronted a band. And The Loudermilks is certainly the product of equals. That suits Alan fine, who’d learned from the Lou Ford experience that - among other things - sharing the spotlight might decrease the heat beneath it.
Says Alan Edwards: “I’ve always been Chad’s biggest fan. I know and love every song he’s ever written. It’s been amazing to watch him get better and better.”
“We made a decision a long time ago that we love making music, playing live and making records,” Alan Edwards says, “and we have little control over the rest of it, so I try to keep the expectations to a minimum. The Chad Edwards project comes lilting through space like a gliding seahawk.
Read also: "Married to Evil": Chad Graves
Wyoming Roads: A Jazz Masterpiece
My new album, Wyoming Roads, is here! The album features five original compositionss along with fresh arrangements of four jazz standards. Check it out!
I'm really excited about this project, recorded with three good friends and amazing musicians - Rob Kyle on saxes and flute, Hussain Jiffry on basses, and Kevin Winard on drums and percussion (along with a guest appearance by SG7 bandmate Steve Gregory on one tune).
Wyoming Roads is an evocative and diverse collection that takes listeners on a sonic journey through the landscapes of jazz, showcasing traditional and contemporary jazz elements. The album delivers fresh interpretations of classics, while Edwards’ original tracks stand out for their lyrical beauty and rhythmic complexity. The recording is a testament to Edwards’ artistic vision and musical prowess, making it a must-listen.” - D. Glenn Daniels/The Jazz Page.
Chad Edwards is an excellent modern mainstream pianist… Wyoming Roads succeeds at being both accessible and full of subtle creativity with each of the musicians playing quite well. A joy to hear.” - Scott Yanow/L.A. Jazz Scene.
Magnificently eclectic, infectiously engaging…” “Five vital, zestful originals and fresh, outside the box arrangements of four familiar standards with a quartet featuring L.A. stalwarts Rob Kyle (sax and flute), Hussain Jiffry (bass) and Kevin Winard (drums and percussion).” - Jonathan Widran/JW Vibe.
Read also: Vallow-Daybell Trial: Key Evidence
Wyoming Roads … is a most enjoyable album offered by a very fine musician and composer and his very talented posse. Edwards' piano chops are tasteful and subtly intense, yet highly lyrical and playful.” - Nicholas F. Mondello/All About Jazz.
Chad Edwards offers us an easy listening jazz album, showcasing his sensitive piano playing, his composer skills, and a back-up band featuring some of Southern California’s finest players. An original Edwards composition called ‘Azure Sky, Sapphire Sea’ is a lovely tune that twists and turns like waves on the Pacific Ocean, and quickly becomes one of my favorite compositions on this album.” - Dee Dee McNeil/Making a Scene.
Wyoming Roads is an eclectic album, featuring some of Southern California's best musicians whom Edwards chose after doing several live concerts with them. He wanted to capture that live performance feeling on this recording and showcases their skills beautifully, both individually and collectively.” Jose Ramon/La Habitacion del Jazz (The Jazz Room-Spain).
The ensemble covers that familiar “Alone Together” composition, arranged as a Boss Nova and once again features the saxophone of Robert Kyle, sounding smooth as velvet. The Edwards piano solo takes over after Kyles rich solo, with Chad’s fingers dancing happily across the keys. Hussain Jiffry’s electric bass opens an original Edwards composition called “Azure Sky, Sapphire Sea.” It’s a lovely tune that twists and turns like waves on the Pacific Ocean, and quickly becomes one of my favorite compositions on this album.
| Track | Description |
|---|---|
| Azure Sky, Sapphire Sea | An original Edwards composition that twists and turns like waves on the Pacific Ocean. |
| Alone Together | A familiar composition arranged as a Boss Nova. |
Popular articles:
tags: #Chad
