Ed Bickert
A guitarist whose warm, thoughtful sound and harmonic ingenuity made him a quiet giant of mainstream jazz, beloved by musicians worldwide.
1932–2019 (age 87)·Canadian jazz guitarist·Birthday: November 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ed Bickert spent most of his life in Toronto, a city that shaped his understated musical approach. For decades, he was the first-call guitarist in Canadian studios, his Telecaster weaving clean, chord-melody magic into countless sessions. His international breakthrough came not through self-promotion, but through the discerning ear of saxophonist Paul Desmond, who featured him on a series of celebrated albums in the 1970s. Bickert’s playing was a masterclass in taste—never flashy, always harmonically rich, with a tone as clear and comforting as a bell. He became a beacon for a certain school of jazz guitar, proving that profound musical statements could be made without leaving his home city, influencing generations of players who valued melody and space over virtuosic speed.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ed was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ed Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Ed's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2019Died at 87
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- His 1975 album 'Ed Bickert' with Don Thompson is considered a landmark of Canadian jazz recording.
- He was a pivotal collaborator on Paul Desmond's final studio albums, including 'Pure Desmond' (1974).
- He received the Order of Canada in 1993 for his contributions to music.
- His long-standing trio with Don Thompson and Terry Clarke defined the sound of mainstream jazz guitar in Canada for over two decades.
Did You Know?
He famously played a Fender Telecaster, an instrument more associated with country music, achieving a unique jazz tone.
He was initially a radio repairman and worked as a full-time staff musician for the CBC before focusing on jazz.
Despite his international stature, he rarely toured extensively, preferring to stay close to his Toronto home.
He almost never used a guitar pick, preferring the softer attack of his fingers and thumb.
“I just try to play the song. That's what I'm interested in.”
