Chad Edwards

“LA Times/San Gabriel Valley Weekly Two Pasadena jazz pianists worth checking out Paul Anderson NOTES FROM THE VALLEY Pasadena-based pianists David Arnay and Chad Edwards, extremely tasteful jazz players with albums worth finding, are making local appearances soon. Both have college backgrounds that play a large role in shaping their lives.…Edwards also has a time problem, though his consists of maintaining two careers. “It was fine until the kids came,” he said, laughing. “Now I find myself in chauffeur mode quite a bit.”Besides music, Edwards has an interesting day gig. He works at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where his graduate physics work at Caltech comes in handy as a member of the deep space exploration team. Working on the communications ends of things, Edwards helps to decipher and figure out how to receive data from places like Mars.After going to Princeton University, where he played with guitarist Stanley Jordan, Edwards headed to Caltech for his graduate work and decided to stay because of the local opportunities in music. A co-founder of the fusion band Slow Burn, Edwards also has played with the retro jazz quintet Zen Dadio. When he’s not communicating with distant spacecraft, Edwards can be found playing locally in support of his recent compact disc, “Resolution,” usually mirroring the personnel on the disc – saxophonist Andy Suzuki, drummer Kendall Kay and bassist Dean Taba. The disc, all originals by Edwards except for a pair of classic jazz standards, is one of my favorite releases this year.A serendipitous pairing of rhythm and melody by an intuitive quartet of players, it is small-group jazz at its finest, relaxed yet cooking. If jazz is to your liking – and I have always believed that the music could be a lot more viable commercially if the rather insular “snob walls” that many jazz purists throw up were to come tumbling down – then check out these two artists. You’ll be glad you did.” - Paul Anderson

“Really enjoyed it! (5 Stars) A friend turned me on to this disc... Totally fresh sounding, great live feel. I love the title track "Resolution" and the tune "Elegy" among the original compositions, as well as interesting arrangements of some classic jazz standards like "Nardis" and "Song for My Father".” - Phil S.

“Gorgeous sounds! (5 Stars) Delicious sounds and, always, silence behind them. Peace in motion. I love this CD! Dean Taba's bass work is outstanding, providing both sturdy support and exciting embellishments; but it is the *sound* of these lines that moves me most, the timbre Mr Taba gets from his bass. And this true for all the instruments on this CD: these are players who seem to care a great deal not just about the notes they play, but also the textures they create. Especially notable is Chad Edwards' acoustic piano work -- chunky chords, crystalline delicate passages, supple melodies. He is a confident player with a wonderful textural palette to work from. This is a rich and complex collection, one that I expect will be listening to for years to come.” - Michael M.