Harry "Sweets" Edison
Trumpet Solo on
Mean To Me

About

Harry "Sweets" Edison's trumpet solo is the second of three solos on "Mean to Me" from the 1955 Pres & Sweets session. Edison takes two choruses over the 32-bar AABA form in C at approximately 149 BPM, following Lester Young's one-chorus opening. Edison's muted trumpet style—characterized by bluesy smears, space, and understated wit—provides a compelling contrast to Young's tenor approach. Both soloists drew their musical sensibilities from years in Count Basie's orchestra, and their interplay on this session reflects a deep stylistic kinship rooted in the Kansas City swing tradition.

Harry "Sweets" Edison was 39 to 40 years old at the time.