CHAD EDWARDS' "WYOMING ROADS"

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There is something about the brains of scientists that seem to be hardwired for music as well as math. Some of the greatest names in science, like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Max Planck, were all musicians. Among the ranks of the doubly gifted today is pianist and physicist/aerospace engineer CHAD EDWARDS, who is now releasing his sophomore album as a leader, WYOMING ROADS.

WYOMING ROADS comprises five original compositions penned by Edwards and four standards. Southern California is not only a hub of science and innovation, it is also home to many of the best jazz musicians in the world, and Edwards brought on board some of the most in-demand players in the area. Joining Edwards are ROB KYLE (sax and flute), HUSSAIN JIFFRY (bass), KEVIN WINARD (drums and percussion), and a guest appearance by STEVE GREGORY (guitar) on one tune.

Edwards grew up in Connecticut and started playing piano as a kid. He got into rock ‘n roll for a while but became interested in jazz when he was in high school near Philadelphia, where his family had relocated. His interest in jazz was sparked when he joined the Columbia Records Club. The Club, a fixture in the heyday of vinyl, first sent Edwards the album Birds of Fire by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, which blew his mind, and he was soon getting albums by artists like John Coltrane, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock to open his musical perspectives.

Edwards went on to Princeton, where he studied physics, but also found plenty of time to play jazz in several bands, including one with fellow classmate and guitarist Stanley Jordan. After graduating, Edwards moved to Los Angeles to pursue his graduate degrees, attending the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Edwards was interested in particle physics, i.e., the science that deals with the fundamental particles that constitute matter. One of the things that Edwards likes about playing in a band is belonging to a group of like-minded individuals all working together. He chose the path of experimental physics because it also entails working with a group, unlike theoretical physics, which is a more solitary occupation. While in graduate school, he was also active as a keyboardist and composer in a fusion/funk band called Slow Burn, which released one vinyl record in 1987 and briefly toured in the US and Japan.

Edwards graduated from Caltech with a Ph.D. and found work at the NASA-funded Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where he led teams that worked on projects that sound like science fiction to most laymen – communicating with spacecraft across the solar system and designing future missions to Mars. While there, he continued his musical development, releasing Resolution, his first album as a leader, in 2000. The L.A. Times said, “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.” Edwards also performed and recorded with the band Zen Dadio in the ‘90s. One of their tunes, a beautiful bossa called “Tenderfoot,” was used in the Academy Award-winning movie American Beauty.

While continuing his career at JPL, Edwards met a fellow musician and JPL engineer, Jim Lewis, who founded the jazz band The San Gabriel 7 in 2003. (JPL is located at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena). Edwards has performed on the last seven of the band’s albums, which have featured a series of outstanding guest vocalists, including Sinne Eeg and, most recently, Tierney Sutton.

Edwards retired from JPL in 2023 and is now devoting himself to music. He chose the band for WYOMING ROADS after doing several live gigs with this quartet and wanting to capture that live performance feel on this recording. The musicians on the album are top-notch, but Edwards was not interested in everyone just showing off their chops. Instead, he wanted to create an album where the playing reflects a spirit of musical collaboration in the service of the compositions.

He opens the album with the title track, his original, “Wyoming Roads,” which was inspired by a fraught road trip that posed some unforeseen challenges, ultimately overcome. Edwards set out to capture the feel of Montana’s big, open skies and endless vistas. The tune features beautiful solos by Edwards and Kyle on soprano sax.

Other Edwards’ originals include the funky “Momma Wanna Llama,” which he wrote for his wife, who is just crazy about llamas. Edwards doubles on organ with Gregory, a bandmate from the San Gabriel 7, doubling Kyle’s sax line, giving the tune a grittier sound. “Azure Sky, Sapphire Sea” captures a walk on a warm beach, with the intense blueness of the meeting of sea and sky at the horizon. It features Kyle on flute. “Trey,” a tune Edwards wrote for his son Drew, is a jazz waltz with a light, joyous, floating feel. Edwards wrote “Tierney,” for his daughter, Kyle Tierney Edwards. It has a delicate melody and features sensitive interplay between Edwards and Kyle.

Interspersed with his original compositions, Edwards includes four ear-opening arrangements of some great jazz standards. Like most jazz aficionados, Edwards loves Wayne Shorter’s compositions and includes a re-harmonized version of “Footprints.” Edwards changed the feel from 3/4 to 4/4 tempo. “Alone Together” is a well-travelled standard which Edwards arranged with a Latin feel. Winard is highly adept at Latin rhythms and lays down the foundation for this tune. Edwards reimagines “Autumn Leaves” with a high energy, salsa feel. The tune is punctuated with a montuno by Edwards and some high-speed percussion breaks by Winard. Edwards gives Jobim’s “Wave” a funky feel featuring a tasty electric bass solo by Jiffry.

Edwards certainly has accomplished a lot as a scientist, but his musical accomplishments are also impressive. He set out to make an album of beautiful music, and with his sensitive piano playing backed by some of the finest musicians in Southern California, he succeeds with great style and skill on WYOMING ROADS.

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WYOMING ROADS is set for release on May 17, 2024 and will be available at Bandcamp and on all streaming platforms.

Online:

Chadedwardsmusic.com

Chadedwards1.bandcamp.com (physical CDs)

Facebook.com/chad.edwards.3150