Gordon Edwards

Gordon Edwards is an American bassist, bandleader, session musician, composer and arranger, and a United States military veteran. He is the founder and leader of the New York-based band Stuff. A prominent New York session bassist during the 1970s, Edwards recorded with artists including John Lennon, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Donny Hathaway, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Hall & Oates, Grover Washington Jr. and Van McCoy.

Career

Session work Edwards became part of the New York recording scene as a bassist, arranger and musical contractor. His recording work included sessions with Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Paul Simon, Van McCoy, Carly Simon, David Ruffin, Melba Moore, Phoebe Snow and Etta James.

In 1973, Edwards played bass on John Lennon's album Mind Games. The musicians Lennon assembled for the album included Edwards, guitarist David Spinozza, keyboardist Ken Ascher, drummers Jim Keltner and Rick Marotta, saxophonist Michael Brecker and pedal steel guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow. The band's lineup came to include keyboardist Richard Tee, guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, drummers Steve Gadd and Chris Parker, and Edwards on bass.

Stuff grew out of the New York session scene, with members of the group regularly backing major recording artists individually and together. In December 1976, Democrat and Chronicle music critic Jack Garner described the group as "the cream of the New York session scene" and identified Edwards as the leader of Stuff.

Stuff followed its debut with More Stuff (1977), Live Stuff (1978) and Stuff It (1978). Edwards played bass and contributed compositions to the group's recordings.

Stuff also worked with other artists as a unit. The band backed Joe Cocker and appeared with him on Saturday Night Live.

Edwards continued performing with later versions of Stuff. He played bass on Made in America: A Remembrance of Richard Tee, recorded in New York in November 1993 with Dupree, Gale, Gadd, Parker and keyboardist James Allen "Jimmy" Smith.

Military service Edwards is a United States military veteran. In an oral-history interview conducted while he was living at a New York State veterans' home, Edwards discussed his military service and veterans' care.

Selected discography

With Stuff Stuff (Warner Bros., 1976) More Stuff (Warner Bros., 1977) Live Stuff (Warner Bros., 1978) Stuff It (Warner Bros., 1978) Live in New York (1980) Made in America: A Remembrance of Richard Tee (1994) The Right Stuff (1996) Live at Montreux 1976 (2008)

Selected recording credits Leon Thomas – Blues and the Soulful Truth (1972) Grant Green – The Final Comedown (1972) Bernard Purdie – Shaft (1972) Paul Simon – There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973) John Lennon – Mind Games (1973) Esther Phillips – Black-Eyed Blues (1973) James Brown – The Payback (1973) Aretha Franklin – With Everything I Feel in Me (1974) James Brown – Reality (1974) Rufus Thomas – Do the Funky Chicken / later recordings Van McCoy – Disco Baby (1975) Nikki Giovanni – The Way I Feel (1975) Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) The Salsoul Orchestra – The Salsoul Orchestra (1975) Paul Butterfield – Put It in Your Ear (1976) Phoebe Snow – Second Childhood (1976) Joe Cocker – Stingray (1976) Melba Moore – This Is It (1976) Melba Moore – Melba (1976) Weldon Irvine – Sinbad (1976) The Salsoul Orchestra – Nice 'n' Naasty (1976) The Salsoul Orchestra – Christmas Jollies (1976) Faith, Hope & Charity – Life Goes On (1976) General Johnson – General Johnson (1976) Louie Ramirez – A Different Shade of Black (1976) David Ruffin – In My Stride (1977) Frankie Valli – Lady Put the Light Out (1977) The Salsoul Orchestra – Magic Journey (1977) Charo and The Salsoul Orchestra – Cuchi-Cuchi (1977) Carla Bley – Dinner Music (1977) Jun Fukamachi – Evening Star (1977) Odyssey – Odyssey (1977) Pee Wee Ellis – Home in the Country (1977) Carly Simon – Boys in the Trees (1978) Deodato – Love Island (1978) Etta James – Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! (1978) Gladys Knight & the Pips – The One and Only (1978) Van McCoy – My Favourite Fantasy (1978) Kate & Anna McGarrigle – Pronto Monto (1978) Faith, Hope & Charity – Faith, Hope & Charity (1978) Aretha Franklin – La Diva (1979) Janis Ian – Night Rains (1979) Stacy Lattisaw – Young and in Love (1979) John Mayall – Bottom Line (1979) Loleatta Holloway – Love Sensation (1980) Paul Simon – One-Trick Pony (1980) Joe Bataan – Mestizo (1980) Salena Jones – My Love (1981) Paul Simon – Hearts and Bones (1983)