Sumner Leslie Edwards

Sumner Leslie "King" Edwards, who seem to have used this full-length name on all of his half-dozen recording credits, is often confused with another musician from the same era, Henry "Bass" Edwards. The similarities do abound: they share a surname, a recording era, and the ability to double on both the plucked string bass and blown bass instruments such as tuba. Furthermore, both men experimented with an antique instrument that combined aspects of both these instrument families, the brass bass. Still furthermore, both players worked with the same leader, the esteemed Sam Wooding. "Bass" Edwards was with Wooding for a short time in 1923, however, while the bassist with the lengthy name stayed longer, walking for the Wooding outfit from 1926 and 1929. This represented the era of the Chocolate Kiddies for Wooding, an ambitious period in which the bandleader put together a group for the musical revue of this name that was first assembled in 1925 for a European tour. The show headlined the vaudeville team of Rufus and Drayton and besides featuring Edwards as part of an 11-piece orchestra, also included some 30 chorus girls, a group of dancers, several comedians, and a pair of stand-up singers. Edwards also gigged with Louis Mitchell during the European sojourn. The bassist's brother is Maceo Edwards, a trumpeter who also played with the Wooding band in the second half of the '20s. Speaking of trumpet, an obscure trumpeter credited as just plain Sumner Edwards appeared on one recording session in the mid-'80s; nothing else is known about him, and there is a chance he could be related to Sumner Leslie "King" Edwards. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide