Biography
Eddie Locke took part in Detroit’s thriving jazz community during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Although he favored swing and mainstream approaches for most of his career, he proved equally skilled when working in more contemporary contexts. Between 1948 and 1953 he joined drummer Oliver Jackson in the variety act Bop and Locke while also performing freelance with other Detroit players. After relocating to New York in 1954, Locke appeared with Dick Wellstood, Tony Parenti, Henry "Red" Allen, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Teddy Wilson, Roy Eldridge, and Coleman Hawkins, serving as a steady member of the last-named musician’s group throughout the 1960s. In addition to sessions alongside Lee Konitz, Tiny Grimes, and Earle Warren, he remained with Eldridge’s ensemble at Ryan’s for the entire 1970s and stayed busy well into the 1990s. For Chiaroscuro in 1977 Locke directed a novelty vocal presentation modeled on the King Cole Trio that again featured Oliver Jackson, then recorded a straight-ahead swing date for Storyville the following year.
Albums
