Eddie Higgins

For the baseball player, see Eddie Higgins (baseball).

Eddie Higgins
Birth name	Hayden Higgins
Born	(1932-02-21)February 21, 1932 Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Died	August 31, 2009(2009-08-31) (aged 77) Fort Lauderdale, United States
Genres	Bebop, traditional jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, arranger
Instrument(s)	Piano Vocals
Years active	1958–2009

Edward Haydn Higgins (February 21, 1932 - August 31, 2009) was a jazz pianist, composer and orchestrator.

Biography

Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Higgins initially studied privately with his mother. He started his professional career in Chicago, Illinois, while studying at the Northwestern University School of Music. An elegant and sophisticated pianist, his encyclopedic harmonic approach and wide range of his repertory made him one of the most distinctive jazz pianists to come out of Chicago, gaining the respect of local and visiting musicians for his notable mastery of the instrument. Higgins also had the unusual ability to sound equally persuasive in a broad span of music, whether he was playing traditional swing, exciting bebop or reflexive ballads, providing the tone and stylistic flavor of each styles, as both a soloist and as accompanist.

For more than two decades Higgins worked at some of Chicago's most prestigious jazz clubs, including the Brass Rail, Preview Lounge, Blue Note, Cloister Inn and Jazz, Ltd. His longest and most memorable tenure was at the long gone London House, where he led his jazz trio from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, playing opposite jazz stars of this period, including Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Erroll Garner, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and George Shearing, among others. Later, Higgins said the opportunities to play jazz music with Coleman Hawkins and Oscar Peterson were unforgettable moments. Higgins' time spent at the London House Restaurant was with bassist Richard Evans and drummer Marshall Thompson. Higgins also worked for Chess Records as a producer.

During his stay in Chicago, Higgins also recorded a significant number of albums under his auspices and many more as a sideman with a wide variety of musicians, ranging in style from tenor saxophonists Hawkins to Wayne Shorter; trumpeters Bobby Lewis to Freddie Hubbard, and trombonists Jack Teagarden to Al Grey. His versatility was captured on stage and records, backing up singers and leading his own projects as both pianist and orchestrator, working in every jazz circle from dixieland to modal styles.

In 1970, Higgins moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and began spending winters in Florida and summers on Cape Cod, where he played in local clubs. Since the early 1980s, he traveled widely on the jazz festival circuit and performed frequently in Europe and Japan. His releases on the Japanese Venus label earned him number one in jazz sales on more than one album. After that, Higgins played his music mainly in East Asia including Japan and South Korea. During his career in East Asia, Higgins formed a trio with Joe Ascione (Drums), Jay Leonhart (Bass), which is known as Eddie Higgins Trio.

In 1988, Higgins and jazz singer and pianist Meredith d'Ambrosio were married and became a popular team at clubs and festivals, as well as recording for Sunnyside Records. In 2009, dates in Japan and Korea were on his calendar of upcoming concerts, which were suspended due to a long illness.

Higgins died in Fort Lauderdale at the age of 77.

Style

Eddie Higgins's delicate tone and conception were often compared to those of Bill Evans, one of the most influential and successful jazz pianists. He mostly played bop and mainstream jazz music throughout his career. Furthermore, Higgins was at playing melodies with swing-like feeling. His melodies had groove and swing-feeling without being too superfluous. Such swing-feeling of Eddie Higgins was also often compared to those of Oscar Peterson and Nat King Cole.

Accomplishment

In 2009, Eddie Higgins received Jazz Disc Award from the most respected jazz magazine in Japan, Swing Journal. With his album, Portrait of Love, Higgins won the Best Album of the Year. In the same year, Higgins received another award from Best Engineering Album of the Year.

Discography

Notable recordings as a leader

• 1958: Ed Higgins Trio (Replica Records)

Ed Higgins Trio was his debut album. He formed a trio and changed the songs of famous composers such as Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter into his own style. Credits

Artist	Credits
Harold Arlen	Composer
George Bassman	Composer
Duke Ellington	Composer
George Gershwin	Composer
Ira Gershwin	Composer
Dizzy Gillespie	Composer
Irving Gordon	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Cole Porter	Composer

• 1960: Eddie Higgins (Collectables)

Credits

Artist	Credits
Jim Atlas	Bass
Richard Evans	Composer
Duke Ellington	Composer
Frank Foster	Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor)
Richard Rodgers	Composer
Oscar Peterson	Composer
Johnny Mercer	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Paul Serrano	Trumpet

• 1965: Soulero (Atlantic)

Pianist Eddie Higgins' third album as a leader and the album features his regular Chicago-based trio of the era, a group with bassist Richard Evans and drummer Marshall Thompson.

Credits

Artist	Credits
Walter Donaldson	Composer
Richard Evans	Bass
Edward Heyman	Composer
Gus Kahn	Composer
Marshall Thompson	Drums
Victor Young	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist

• 1978: Dream Dancing (Claremont)

Credits

Artist	Credits
John Bany	Bass
George Bassman	Composer
Duke Ellington	Composer
George Gershwin	Composer
Ira Gershwin	Composer
DuBose Heyward	Composer
Marshall Thompson	Drums
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Cole Porter	Composer

• 1978: My Time of Day (Spinnster)

Credits

Artist	Credits
John Bany	Bass
Bix Beiderbecke	Composer
Duke Ellington	Composer
George Gershwin	Composer
Ira Gershwin	Composer
Gene Lees	Composer
Frank Loesser	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Oscar Peterson	Composer

• 1982: Once In A While (Spinnster)
• 1986: By Request (Solo Art) with Milt Hinton, Bobby Rosengarden

Highlight songs of the album include "St. Louis Blues," "A Hundred Years from Today," "Little Rock Getaway," "Indiana," and "Sweet Georgia Brown."

Credits

Artist	Credits
Leroy Anderson	Composer
Ben Bernie	Composer
Cynthia Daniels	Engineer
Carl Fischer	Composer
Bob Haggart	Composer
Edward Heyman	Composer
W.C. Handy	Composer
Joe Sullivan	Composer
Fats Waller	Composer
Herman Hupfeld	Composer
Maceo Pinkard	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Ned Washington	Composer

• 1990: Those Quiet Days (Sunnyside) with Kevin Eubanks, Rufus Reid

Credits

Artist	Credits
Clarence Gaskill	Composer
Thelonious Monk	Composer
Ogden Nash	Engineer
Kurt Weill	Composer
Michael Wilton	Composer
Denny Zeitlin	Composer
Jimmy McHugh	Composer
Antonio Carlos Jobim	Composer
Kevin Eubanks	Composer
Rufus Reid	Bass
Bed Powell	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
A.M. Brunner	Composer

• 1994: Zoot's Hymns (Sunnyside) with John Doughten, Phil Flanigan, Danny Burger

Credits

Artist	Credits
Harold Arlen	Composer
Danny Burger	Drums
John Doughten	Sax (Tenor)
Phil Flanigan	Bass
Johnny Mercer	Composer
Henry Nemo	Composer
Einar A. Swan	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Piano, Primary Artist
Ned Washington	Composer

• 1995: In Chicago (Solo Art)

Credits

Artist	Credits
John Bany	Bass (Acoustic)
Bix Beiderbecke	Composer
Duke Ellington	Composer
George Gershwin	Composer
Ira Gershwin	Composer
Dave Brubeck	Composer
Oscar Peterson	Composer
Billy Strayhorn	Composer
Frank Loesser	Composer
Marshall Thompson	Composer
DuBose Heyward	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Cole Porter	Composer

• 1996: Portrait in Black and White (Sunnyside)

Credits

Artist	Credits
Johann Sebastian Bach	Composer
Chico Buarque	Composer
Betty Comden	Composer
Riley J. Connell	Engineer
Meredith d'Ambrosio	Cover Art
Adolph Green	Composer
J. Green	Composer
Antonio Carlos Jobim	Composer
James Martin	Drums
Don Wilner	Bass
DuBose Heyward	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Jule Styne	Composer
Joe Young	Composer
Sergey Rachmaninov	Composer
Cole Porter	Composer

• 1997: Haunted Heart (Sunnyside) with Ray Drummond, Ben Riley

Notable songs from the album is My Funny Valentine, Someone to Watch Over Me, I Should Care, and Lush Life

Credits

Artist	Credits
Sammy Cahn	Composer
Todd Barkan	Producer
Howard Dietz	Composer
Ray Drummond	Bass
Meredith d'Ambrosio	Cover Art
George Gershwin	Composer
Ira Gershwin	Composer
Troy Halderson	Engineer
Tetsuo Hara	Producer
Billy Strayhorn	Composer
Sigmund Romberg	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Earl Zindars	Composer
Oliver Nelson	Composer
Ben Riley	Drums
Lorenz Hart	Composer

• 1998: Speaking Of Jobim (Sunnyside) with Jay Leonhart, Terry Clarke
• 1999: Time On My Hands (Arbors Records) solo

14 tracks, including "Can't Get out of This Mood," "You and the Night and the Music," "You Turned the Tables on Me," "A Sleepin' Bee," and "Nina Never Knew."

Credits

Artist	Credits
Vincent Youmans	Composer
Frank Signorelli	Composer
Ted Sharpiro	Composer
Arthur Schwartz	Composer
Meredith d'Ambrosio	Cover Art
Richard Rodgers	Composer
Miguel Prado	Composer
Mitchell Parish	Composer
Sidney Mitchell	Composer
Ray Noble	Composer
Jimmy McHugh	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Earl Zindars	Composer
Oliver Nelson	Composer
Ben Riley	Drums
Lorenz Hart	Composer

• 2001: Bewitched (Venus)

Through this album, Higgins started his musical career in Japan, and gained fame as the album became popular. Higgins hired Jay Leonhart as a bassist and Joe Ascione as a drummer. This trio played together until Higgins died in 2009.

Credits

Artist	Credits
Joe Ascione	Drums
Jay Leonhart	Bass
Todd Barkan	Producer
Alan Bergman	Composer
Marilyn Bergman	Composer
Earl Brent	Composer
Lou Carter	Composer
Jacques Demy	Composer
Matt Dennis	Composer
Herb Ellis	Composer
John Freigo	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Haven Gillespie	Composer
Sammy Fain	Composer
Wayne King	Composer
Victor Young	Composer

• 2002: Don't Smoke In Bed (Venus)

Credits

Artist	Credits
John Pizzarelli	Guitarist (Electric)
Jay Leonhart	Bass
Todd Barkan	Producer
Lew Brown	Composer
Duke Ellington	Composer
Johnny Mercer	Composer
Bernice Petkere	Composer
Willard Robinson	Composer
Billy Strayhorn	Composer
Richard Rodgers	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist

• 2002: Again (Japanese Import)

Credits

Artist	Credits
Tom Adair	Composer
Ray Drummond	Bass
Todd Barkan	Producer
Lew Brown	Composer
Johnny Burke	Composer
Dorcas Cochran	Composer
Matt Dennis	Composer
Lorenz Hart	Composer
Gus Kahn	Composer
Richard Rodgers	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Victor Young	Composer
Frank Signorelli	Composer
Lionel Newman	Composer
Ned Washington	Composer

• 2003: You Don't Know What Love Is (Tokuma Records)

Credits

Artist	Credits
Harold Arlen	Composer
Hoagy Carmichael	Bass
Lou Carter	Producer
Betty Comden	Composer
Eddie DeLange	Composer
Dorcas Cochran	Composer
Herb Ellis	Composer
Johnny Frigo	Composer
Haven Gillespie	Composer
Lorenz Hart	Composer
Eddie Higgins	Primary Artist
Victor Young	Composer
Jule Styne	Composer
Richard Rogers	Composer
Ned Washington	Composer

• 2005: If Dreams Come True (Tokuma Records)

Credits

Artist	Credits
Joe Ascione	Drums
Jay Leonhart	Bass
Todd Barkan	Producer
A. Dominguez	Composer
W.C. Handy	Composer

• 2006: Amor (Venus)

Credits

Artist	Credits
Jay Leonhart	Bass
Joe Ascione	Drum
A. Dominguez	Composer
C. Fischer	Composer
Cole Porter	Composer
L. Oliveira	Composer

As sideman

With Lee Morgan

• Expoobident (1960)

With Sonny Stitt

• Sonny's Last Recordings (Kingdom Jazz, 1981)
• Sonny, Sweets & Jaws (Baystate)

With Wayne Shorter

• Wayning Moments (Vee Jay, 1962)

Others

• Meredith D'Ambrosio: Love Is Not A Game (Sunnyside, 1990); Shadowland (Sunnyside, 1992); Because Of Spring (Sunnyside, 1994)
• Chuck Hedges Just For Fun (Arbors Records)
• George Masso: The Wonderful World of George Gershwin (Nagel-Heyer, 1992)
• Sandy Mosse: Relaxin´ With Sandy Mosse (Argo/Fresh Sound, 1956)
• Cy Touff: Touff Assignement (Argo/Fresh Sound, 1958)

External links

• All Music
• Discography
• Obituary