Here’s a cleaner version of the transcript with proper formatting:
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**Ed Bickert & Don Thompson: At The Garden Party (1979)**
Hi, I'm Marc from JazzGuitarLessons.net, and you're listening to episode 2 of *Album Deep Dives*. If you're not familiar with legendary Canadian jazz guitarist Ed Bickert, just take a hint from Jim Hall, who said that Ed is the only guitarist who made him nervous when he walked into the room. It's easy to understand why after hearing *At The Garden Party*, the 1979 live duo record by Ed and bassist Don Thompson.
Although this record is somewhat of a hidden gem in the overall jazz sphere, it remains massively influential among Canadian jazz guitarists. The incredible harmonic facility and imagination that Ed displays here still echo through the playing of modern-day Toronto jazz greats like Lorne Lofsky, Ted Quinlan, and Reg Schwager.
*[music clip: "Please Be Kind" (0:00-0:18)]*
The original pressing of *At The Garden Party* featured seven tracks from a live recording at Garden Party Cafe one night in 1978. According to one of Don Thompson's former students, the duo had no preconceived tune list in mind. Nevertheless, the album opens with "Alone Together" — perhaps an unconscious nod to the 1972 Jim Hall/Ron Carter record of the same name.
The tune starts with a short guitar intro; 2-3 note chords move above an open D string. Thompson then takes the A section of the melody, while Ed comps in the higher register. The overall sound is remarkably full considering the instrumentation and chord choices, which is a testament to Ed's mellow, sustaining tone. If you heard this record in a blindfold test, you might mistake the instrument for an electric piano rather than a guitar.
Listen to Ed's solo here, and you'll spot a heavy Bill Evans influence. Much like Evans, he's capable of creating tension through heavily syncopated single-note lines as well as thoughtfully voice-led sections of chromatic chords, often combining the two techniques to stunning effect.
*[music clip: "Alone Together" (3:50-4:18)]*
The second tune, "A Face Like Yours," will be less familiar even to die-hard jazz fans. Perhaps it was Don who called this tune, as he recorded another version in 2013 with Neil Swainson. The use of obscure tunes was common practice for Ed Bickert, though; you can always count on finding a few unfamiliar standards on any of his records.
Ed takes two solos on this tune, which feature some of his most melodic playing on the whole record. The line he plays to start the second solo is so beautiful and fitting that it sounds like the composer himself wrote it into the tune.
*[music clip: "A Face Like Yours" (3:45-4:08)]*
Next up is the Rodgers & Hart ballad "You Are Too Beautiful." Don plays the melody in what sounds like the upper extremity of the bass's range, and appropriately, Ed fills out his comping with bass notes. This ability to adapt on the fly to whatever the other is playing is one of the greatest strengths of this duo and a welcome reminder to always keep your mind and ears open.
*[music clip: "You Are Too Beautiful" (0:12-0:38)]*
In 1961, saxophonist Lee Konitz released *Motion*, an incredible trio record with Sonny Dallas and Elvin Jones. That record is striking upon first listen because, although Konitz was a strong advocate for melody, he omits the melody of almost every tune. I couldn't help but think of *Motion* as I heard Ed & Don's take on "What Is This Thing Called Love," which starts with a blisteringly fast guitar solo off the top.
I wonder if Ed had heard *Motion* by that time or was influenced by the Tristano school at all. It's clear that he had at least heard Billy Bauer, who was one of the first adopters of the hybrid picking technique. In any case, it's telling that the only time they used this more experimental kind of arrangement was on a popular Cole Porter tune, that the audience likely would have known.
Ed's tone here is brighter and more biting, and his lines include a healthy dose of blues. Although he built his reputation on impressionistic chord work, at heart Ed was really a country boy, and he often expressed some of that earthy grit in his playing.
*[music clip: "What Is This Thing Called Love" (1:08-1:29)]*
Any appetite for melody was certainly satisfied with the next tune, "Who Can I Turn To?" This stunning ballad has been recorded by musicians ranging from Bill Evans to Pat Martino, although Ed & Don's version certainly leans more towards Evans than Martino. The close-interval chords that Ed plays here often require major stretches or use of an open string, but his genius is really revealed in the ways these chords fit together.
Take it from guitarist Ben Monder, who has studied harmony as much as any guitarist in history. He says, "He is an absolute master of voice leading, and whether comping or supporting his own melodies, he sounds like nobody else. As I transcribe these things, I usually find I know the voicings, but for some reason still can’t sound like that…"
*[music clip: "Who Can I Turn To" (1:23-1:54)]*
*At The Garden Party* is closed out by the brief but lovely "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" and "Please Be Kind," the most overtly swinging track on the record. At this point, you might be tempted to trade your archtop in for a Telecaster and a Standel amp, but it's not likely to get you close to Ed's sound. In the year this record was released, Ed even stated that he wasn't totally in love with the Telecaster, but it just proved to be more practical for gigs, and he had gotten used to it.
Although, he also said that he doesn't care for aesthetics at all, but I'm not sure I totally believe that — just look at the stylish corduroy suits on the cover of the record!
For a more organic approach to learning Ed's style, try getting your hands on some other essential records and doing a deep dive of your own. I recommend the 2004 CD reissue of *At The Garden Party* (which includes some bonus tracks from a separate studio session), *Pure Desmond* (by the Paul Desmond Quartet), and *Live At The Senator* (with Mike Murley and Steve Wallace).
Ed passed away just recently in 2019, and there was quite an outpouring of love and admiration from the jazz community here in Canada. If you read through the many tributes from his fans and collaborators, you'll find a common, simple truth: there was just nobody like Ed.
*[music clip: "Please Be Kind" (4:49-5:14)]*
