Dave Edwards
Dallas, Texas, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Who said recording and then releasing a CD was easy? Dallas-based pianist Dave Edwards can tell you just how long and loopy that road can be. Elusive Dreams, consisting of 12 original piano instrumentals augmented by saxophone and drums covering classical, pop, blues and smooth jazz, is Edwards’ first solo album in a career spanning 46 years. It’s a pleasant listen, at oncemoody and majestic. Edwards has an evocative quality in his piano playing and his songwriting.
Edwards also has a long local history. He studied classical and jazz piano at the University of North Texas. During the early ’80s, he was part of the late B.W. Stevenson’s band. That led to his own country-rock outfit, Stallion, which did some recording in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and at Willie Nelson’s famed Pedernales Recording Studio. In the early ’90s, Stallion was briefly signed to major-label powerhouse Capitol Records. But what is a pianist to do without his hands? Years of constant playing rendered his hands useless at the keyboards. He spent a decade without playing. Special hand exercises, massages and technique adjustments finally brought Edwards back to the keys in 2004. Practice helped him hone his chops again, and he began writing new material that culminated in Elusive Dreams. - Dallas Morning News
A lifetime in music and participation in a series of rock and country rock bands seems an unlikely route to contemporary jazz but this is the journey that pianist Dave Edwards has taken to release his debut solo album ‘Elusive Dreams’. Indeed, from his base in Dallas, TX Edwards has conjured up a fine collection of his own compositions and in so doing emerged as a writer and performer who deserves to be heard. - Smooth Jazz Therapy
"A featured favorite this spring amongst a crop of experienced composers is Dave Edwards, a songsmith of great wit and insight into the power of music. Elusive Dreams defines Edwards as an acclaimed songwriter and composer, able to craft melodies of great intricacy. ... His songs are relaxing and catchy. They feature romance and rebirth. Happy and amiable are the mixture of instruments that blend together his charm." - Target Audience Magazine
Discography
Piano Sketches #1
Peace On Earth
Elusive Dreams
Photos
Bio
Dave Edwards began playing the piano professionally at local Shakey’s Pizza Parlors in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 15. Dave went on to study classical and jazz piano at the University of North Texas. He continued college music studies intermittently while working at recording studios in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a composer and pianist.
In 1970s he played in a succession of bands that toured the lounges and dance clubs of Texas and the Southwest. He also played extended engagements in Park City, Utah, and Durango, Colorado.
After a brief playing hiatus, during which he worked as a salesman at one of the largest music stores in Texas at the time, he helped form a country-rock band called "Stallion" in 1981. Dave’s association with Stallion would last for 12 years. During that time the band became one of the most popular “New Country” bands in the North Texas region, including stints working as the backup band for recording artists Charlie Ross and B. W. Stevenson. The band recorded several tracks in the studio with Stevenson before his untimely death.
Stallion was the opening act for scores of major recording artists playing in major Country & Western clubs from Billy Bob’s Texas to Ranchman’s in Calgary, Canada. The band appeared on several local TV shows, and during the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, they were featured on the CBS Morning News.
Stallion recorded at many different studios, the most memorable of which were in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and Willie Nelson’s Pedernales studio near Austin. In April of 1990, Stallion was signed to a development deal with Capitol Records.
A grueling performance schedule along with heavy computer use led to the development of problems with the joints and tendons of his hands. A year later Dave left Stallion, thinking his piano playing days could be over. After he met classical pianist Leon Fleischer following a performance with the Dallas Symphony – it was Fleischer’s first concert after a long battle with his own hand problems – Dave was inspired to attempt a return to playing. With a regimen of special exercises, massage and technique adjustments, Dave was eventually able to return to playing the piano without resorting to surgery.
Dave returned to live performance in 2004 as a solo pianist. He began playing at book stores and restaurants, and soon added corporate events, private parties, and other venues. His live performances feature an eclectic mix of music including his own music as well as pop standards.
Dave is currently concentrating on writing and recording, focused on pursuing his interrupted music career. His new CD is "Elusive Dreams," released in spring 2011.
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