Calvin Edwards Trio at Gaston College

Calvin Edwards was born to play guitar. His father, who led a popular gospel group called the Southern Crusaders, taught Calvin to play when he was six. Edwards toured and wrote twith his father before moving on to a long stint with the Grammy-winning gospel group the Five Blind Boys of
Alabama, which was a seminal, educational experience for Edwards.
“I learned how to behave on the road from them,”he says. “I learned to always look professional and have a nice suit, and how to manage a band.” Edwards has been leading his own trio for 30 years, playing a blend of soul and jazz in the vein of Wes Montgomery or Jimmy Smith, and he
recently released a new album called “Just Swing.” “You have to be an expert jazz musician to even think about playing in a trio,” Edwards says of his preferred format. “You cannot hide behind anything. Anyone can solo at any given time. You don’t have horns or keyboards or another guitar to hide behind.”
The concert is Free & open to the public.