Eddie Higgins

Birth name Hayden Higgins

Born February 21, 1932
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died August 31, 2009 (aged 77)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Musician, composer, arranger, singer
Instruments Piano, vocals
Years active 1958�2009
Labels Atlantic, Sunnyside
Associated acts Joe Ascione, Jay Leonhart, Meredith D'Ambrosio
Edward Haydn Higgins (February 21, 1932 � August 31, 2009) was a jazz pianist,
composer, and orchestrator.[1]

Contents
1 Biography
2 Style
3 Accomplishment
4 Discography
4.1 As leader
4.2 Compilations
4.3 As sideman
5 References
6 External links
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 style, both as soloist and 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, Wes Montgomery, 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 spent his time at
the London House Restaurant 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 Sonny Stitt to Wayne Shorter;
trumpeters Bobby Lewis to Harry Edison to Lee Morgan and 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. Although
he opted to decline the offer, Higgins was asked at one point by Art Blakey to join
the seminal hard bop quintet, The Jazz Messengers.

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 successful trio with Joe Ascione (drums), and Jay Leonhart (bass).

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, but 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. Higgins was at home playing
melodies with swing-like feeling. His melodies had groove and swing-feeling without
being 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
As leader
Year recorded Title Label Notes
1957 The Ed Higgins Trio Replica Trio, with Dave Poskonka (bass), Jack
Noren (drums)
1960 Eddie Higgins Vee-Jay Some tracks trio with Jim Atlas (bass),
Marshall Thompson (drums); some tracks quintet, with Paul Serrano (trumpet), Frank
Foster (tenor sax) added; some tracks trio with Richard Evans (bass), Thompson
(drums)
1965 Soulero Atlantic Trio, with Richard Evans (bass) Marshall Thompson
(drums)
1966 The Piano of Eddie Higgins Atlantic Some tracks trio; some tracks with
orchestra
1967 Music from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tower Trio, with Richard Evans (bass),
Marshall Thompson (drums)
1976 My Time of Day Claremont Trio, with John Bany (bass), Marshall Thompson
(drums)
1976 Dream Dancing Claremont Trio, with John Bany (bass), Marshall Thompson
(drums)
1980 Sweet Lorraine EMI Trio, with Osamu Kawakami (bass), Jimmy Takeuchi
(drums)
1982 Once in a While Spinnster Most tracks sextet, with Pete Minger
(flugelhorn), John Swan (flugelhorn, trumpet), Bill Prince (flugelhorn, trumpet,
tenor sax), Lew Berryman (bass), Norman "Red" Hawley (drums); one track septet,
with Nancy Weckwerth (French horn) added; in concert
1986 By Request Solo Art Trio, with Milt Hinton (bass), Bobby Rosengarden
(drums)
1990 Those Quiet Days Sunnyside Trio, with Kevin Eubanks (guitar), Rufus Reid
(bass)
1992 By Request Solo Art Solo piano
1994 Zoot's Hymns Sunnyside Quartet, with John Doughten (tenor sax), Phil
Flanigan (bass), Danny Burger (drums)
1996 Portrait in Black and White Sunnyside Trio, with Don Wilner (bass), James
Martin (drums)
1997 Haunted Heart Sunnyside Trio, with Ray Drummond (bass), Ben Riley
(drums)
1998 Speaking to Jobim Sunnyside Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Terry Clarke
(drums)
1998 Again Venus Trio, with Ray Drummond (bass), Ben Riley (drums)
1999 Time on My Hands Arbors Solo piano
2000 Don't Smoke in Bed Venus Trio, with John Pizzarelli (guitar), Jay
Leonhart (bass)
2001 Bewitched Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
2001 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Venus Quartet, with Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), Jay
Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
2002 Dear Old Stockholm Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione
(drums)
2002 My Foolish Heart Venus Quartet, with Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), Jay
Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
2003 You Don't Know What Love Is Venus Solo piano
2003 Moonlight Becomes You Venus With Joe Locke (vibes) Joe Cohn (guitar), Jay
Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums); plus strings
2004 If Dreams Come True Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione
(drums)
2004 Christmas Songs Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
2004 My Funny Valentine Venus Quartet, with Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), Jay
Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
2005 Amor Venus Trio, with Sean Smith (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
2006 Christmas Songs 2 Venus Most tracks trio, with George Mraz (bass), Ben
Riley(drums); two tracks quartet, with Scott Hamilton (tenor sax) added
2006 A Fine Romance Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Mark Taylor (drums)
2006 A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass),
Mark Taylor (drums)
2006 Secret Love Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Mark Taylor (drums)
2006 You Are Too Beautiful Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Mark Taylor
(drums)
2006 It's Magic Venus With Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), Ken Peplowski (tenor sax,
clarinet), Jay Leonhart (bass), Ben Riley (drums)
2008 A Handful of Stars Venus With Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), Ken Peplowski
(tenor sax, clarinet), Jay Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
2008 Standards By Request 1st Day Venus Solo piano
2008 Standards By Request 2nd Day Venus Solo piano
2008 Portraits of Love Venus Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Joe Ascione (drums)
Source:[2]

Compilations
Relaxin' at the Lounge (Venus)
Standard Higgins (Venus)
Ballad Higgins (Venus)
Tenderly: The Best of Eddie Higgins (Venus)
Source:[3]

As sideman
With Meredith d'Ambrosio

1989 South to a Warmer Place

1991 Love Is Not a Game
1993 Shadowland
1995 Beware of Spring!
2001 Love Is for the Birds
With Wayne Shorter

1962 Wayning Moments

2002 All or Nothing at All
2013 Beginnings
With Lee Morgan

1960 Expoobident
2002 Just in Time
With Sonny Stitt

2000 Sonny, Sweets, and Jaws: Live at Bubba's

2001 No Greater Love
2004 Just Friends: Live at Bubba's Jazz Restaurant 1981
With Warren Vach�

1999 Mrs. Vache's Boys

2007 Remember
With Chuck Hedges

1992 No Greater Love

2001 Just for Fun
With others

1957 This Is Lucy Reed, Lucy Reed

1959 Touff Assignment, Cy Touff
1961 Brilliant, Don Goldie
1961 The Thinking Man�s Trombone Al Grey
1963 Sextet in Person, Jack Teagarden
1985 The Great Fontana, Carl Fontana
1992 The Wonderful World of George Gershwin, George Masso
1996 A Time for Love, John Doughten
1996 Stolen Goods, Betty Dickson
1997 Double Rainbow, Rebecca Parris
1999 Great Duets, Jay Leonhart
2001 Indian Summer, Greg Fishman
2005 Hot & Blue Vol. 1�2, Bill Allred
2016 One Night in Indy, Wes Montgomery