Eddie Locke was part of the very fertile Detroit jazz scene of the late 1940s and early '50s, and during much of his career leaned more towards swing and mainstream music, although he was a very capable drummer in more modern settings. He had a variety act with fellow drummer
Oliver Jackson from 1948-1953 that was called Bop and Locke, and he freelanced with other Detroit musicians. After moving to New York in 1954,
Locke played with
Dick Wellstood,
Tony Parenti,
Henry "Red" Allen,
Willie "The Lion" Smith,
Teddy Wilson,
Roy Eldridge, and
Coleman Hawkins, becoming a regular in the latter's group during the '60s. In addition to recording with
Lee Konitz,
Tiny Grimes, and
Earle Warren,
Locke was with
Eldridge's band at Ryan's throughout the '70s, and he remained quite active into the '90s.
Locke led a novelty vocal set in the vein of
the King Cole Trio that included
Oliver Jackson for Chiaroscuro in 1977 and a straight-ahead swing date for Storyville in 1978. ~ Scott Yanow