Biography Ed Bickert

Ed Bickert, CM (born Edward Isaac Bickert on 29 November 1932; died 28 February 2019) was a Canadian jazz guitarist.

Notable for his long association with the late Moe Koffman and Phil Nimmons' recordings, Bickert became a charter member of Rob McConnell's Boss Brass. Playing with the rare American musicians who employed Toronto rhythm sections in local gigs, Bickert married, and eschewing the road, stayed at home and raised a family of his own.

A friendship with renowned guitarist Jim Hall merited a recommendation to Hall's old acquaintance, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, who was looking for a band in the 1970s. Desmond quickly felt a rapport with Bickert, and bassist Don Thompson, who recorded some of their appearances at the now-defunct Burbon Street club in Toronto, with two different drummers. Recordings from those sessions were released as "Paul Desmond Quartet LIVE" in LP format by A&M Records, and additional tracks were released much later on CD by Telarc. The sessions Desmond's enthusiasm for the guitarist's graceful choruses of chordal solos, and incomparable accompaniment gifts, forced him to record with Bickert state-side at Rudy Van Gelder's studio with top musicians Connie Kay on drums, and bassist Ron Carter—the album Pure Desmond was the result.

After playing in Japan with Milt Jackson, he recorded with Oscar Peterson, then Buddy Tate. He went on tour during the 1980s with McConnell, Koffman, and Peter Appleyard. He signed with Concord and recorded with Ernestine Anderson, Benny Carter, Rosemary Clooney, Lorne Lofsky, Dave McKenna, Ken Peplowski, and Neil Swainson. Lofsky was a member of his quartet in the 1980s and '90s.

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