DONALD EDWARDS, a native of Japan, started playing drums when he was an eight-year-old student at Holy Comforter School in Washington, DC, and he was working as a paid professional by the time he was a teen. During his May 3, 2017 interview for the Washington DC Jazz Oral History Project, he discussed, among other things, his love for music, the “drill sergeant” father who was his first teacher, and his “‘A Train’ Wow” moment.

“My name is Don Edwards. I am not with a band, but I do a lot of freelance work around DC. At Takoma Station [Tavern], I do jazz on Tuesdays. Other than that, I am a drummer, and I love my music. I have been doing this since I was eight, and I will be 61. That’s a long time playing drums. I love doing what I do. I love to see people dancing, having a good time . . .”

“My dad, Harry Edwards [was my main influence]. I was in Catholic School at the time. I was young, I was eight. I came home, went down to the basement, and, low and behold, I saw a drum kit. I smiled, and I was so happy I jumped on it, played some James Brown . . . That’s basically my influence.”

“It was a real drum kit, full size, five pieces. . . I went there and I played those things link crazy. I used to have people — Between the houses near where we lived, there would be like 50 people looking in my basement window, and I’m playing. My mother goes, “Donald, why do you have so many people out there?” I would say, “Ma, they are listening to me play drums!” I used to have packs of people out there, front yard, and the side of the house . . . Just listening, listening to me play.”

“My father just thought it was something that I would want to do and like to do, perhaps . . .That was his initiative, because I would beat on the table, when I was young, with spoons and forks. . . So that is where it came from.”

“I was born in Japan. I was like five or six when I came to the United States. I remember coming on a boat to New York. Dad was in the military. He wasn’t with us.   Myself, my mom and three sisters were on the boat . . .”

“Dad played violin, mom played piano, my oldest sister played piano, and I play drums. My twin doesn’t play anything, and my baby sister played piano.”

“We [dad and I] would sit down in the basement. The equipment was down there, his record player, and he would put a record on. let’s say Duke Ellington.   Let’s say “A Train.” He would say, “What’s the tempo?” I would say, “4/4.” “Right!” He would say, “Who is playing piano?” I would say, “Duke Ellington.” And he would say, “Right.” He would just be drilling me, and he would ask, “What’s the name of the song?” I would say, “A Train.”

“. . . He would drill me like a drill sergeant. He was in the army, so that’s why he did that. Other than that, he also played violin. I will never forget a buddy of mine. . . I was playing drums in the basement, and my father was coming down the steps with this violin, (pretends to play), and I would switch it up and start playing jazz. I recorded it, but I don’t have the recording any more . . . I will never forget that moment, when he was coming down in the basement with his violin, and I WAS playing drums. It was nice. It was phenomenal. He passed eight years ago, and during the time of the funeral, they played “A Train.” I said, “Wow!” Everybody started crying. I started crying. Yeah!”

Don on Drums, All That Jazz Band, 2018

“Take the A Train,” VFW Lanham

https://youtu.be/iE34dZRJeaw

Takoma Station Tavern

http://www.takomastation.com/

A History of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish

http://hcsc.catholicws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/HCSC-History-1.pdf

Interview Date: May 3, 2017

All Interviews Conducted, Recorded, and Reviewed by

Dr. Regennia N. Williams

Life Member, Oral History Association

Founder and Director, The RASHAD Center, Inc.

For more information, please visit: https://rashadcenter.wordpress.com/.

*Photograph (Still from Oral History Video, Shot at Gibson Guitar, Inc.) Courtesy of Dr. Regennia N. Williams

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