by Scott YanowEd Bickert, a cool-toned guitarist with a bop-ish style, has been a fixture in Toronto since the 1950s. While he played steadily in the studios from 1956 on, and had associations with Moe Koffman and (more importantly) Rob McConnell, it was not until he performed and recorded with Paul Desmond during 1974-1975 that Ed Bickert received much recognition in the U.S. He went on to be featured on records with Rob McConnells Boss Brass and small groups, Oscar Peterson (1980), Rosemary Clooney, Benny Carter, and on his own Concord and Sackville dates.