Harry 'Sweets' Edison discusses his playing style

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Harry 'Sweets' Edison discusses his church background

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Harry 'Sweets' Edison discusses the importance of lyrics

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Q: “You can build a whole thing based on just dynamics and shading and stressing and just bending a note and that. Was that something that you arrived at or just thought ‘this is a way to go or how did that come about?”

A: “Well, I guess, it was just luck. Just luck that ... well, I've always tried to have a sound that I would be identified by, but as recently I just got a little citation making me, honoring me for my small contribution that I have made to jazz from Rutgers. And I was one of twenty musicians to get the fellowship, the Duke Ellington Fellowship, before he passed at Yale University. I've snuck in those things some way. You know, I've been very, very lucky and fortunate to receive these two documents that I'm very, very proud of and I've always said there is no substitute for originality regardless how bad it sounds. You are the only one can do what you're doing.”