Ed Polcer

Best known for leading the house band at the third and final version of the Eddie Condon club, Ed Polcer is a solid Dixieland (or Chicago jazz) soloist and a fine ensemble player. He studied at Princeton University and, after graduating in 1958, played at Ryan's and other New York clubs while pursuing a career outside of music. In 1969, Polcer joined Red Balaban's group, becoming co-leader in 1975. The cornetist, who worked with Benny Goodman (1972), Jane Harvey, and Cathy Chamberlain, has been a popular figure at jazz parties and classic jazz festivals during the past few decades. Polcer can be heard in excellent form on an album he led for Jazzology in 1982 and on A Salute to Eddie Condon (a 1993 concert put out by the Nagel-Heyer label).