Born
in Allentown, PA and raised in Ann Arbor, MI, Ed
received his first pair of drumsticks at the tender
age of three from the drummer in his Dad's dixieland
band. He played his first professional job when he
was twelve years old and hasn't stopped since. Some
of Ed's private teachers include Butch Miles, J.C.
Heard, Dave Samuals, Mousy Alexander, Elliot Zigmund
and Horace Arnold. A graduate of the acclaimed Jazz
Studies program at William Patterson College, Ed
has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz
including the Count Basie Orchestra, Chick Corea,
Arturo Sandoval, Woody Herman Orchestra, Scott Hamilton,
Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Milt Hinton, Tommy Newsom
and Ken Peplowski.
Ed
has appeared on more than 50 recordings with such
artists as Bob Wilber, The Canadian Brass, Kenny
Davern, Warren Vaché, Jr., Bucky Pizzarelli,
Bob Haggart, Ralph Sutton, Allan Vaché, and
Howard Alden. In March 1999 Ed had the opportunity
to lead his own group (which included Randy Sandke
and Harry Allen) for a CD on the Nagel-Heyer label
of Hamburg, Germany. That recording, titled Tough
Assignment, is a tribute to the great jazz drummer
of the 30s and 40s, Dave Tough. Five other CD's are
scheduled for release in the near future.
Another
major part of Ed's career has been his involvement
with The Black Dogs. This was a ground-breaking group
of musicians who all had their roots in Dixieland
jazz. In 1989 the Black Dogs took the jazz festival
circuit by storm with their unique style of music.
Although the band broke up in 1997, the original
members have combined again for reunion concerts
in Victoria, B.C., and Clearwater, FL.
Because
of the Black Dogs' popularity, Ed has become the
drummer of choice for many jazz artists. This has
enabled him to appear at more than 60 jazz festivals
around the world, including tours of mainland China,
Europe and Canada.
A
15-year resident of Orlando FL, Ed recently completed
14 years as a staff musician and clinician at Walt
Disney World. Ed is also on the teaching staff at
several jazz camps around the country including Sacramento
and Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Ed
Metz, Jr. performs on SABIAN Cymbols and EVANS Drumheads
exclusively.
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