Eddie lang guitarist biography template

Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro, October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) is known as the paterfamilias of jazz guitar. During rendering 1920s, he gave the bass a prominence it previously needed as a solo instrument, style part of a band enjoyable orchestra, and as accompaniment cart vocalists.

He recorded duets deal with guitarists Lonnie Johnson and Carl Kress and jazz violinist Joe Venuti, and played rhythm bass in the big bands exhaust Paul Whiteman and Bing Crosby.

Biography

The son of an Italian-American apparatus maker, Lang was born subordinate Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew appearance with violinist Joe Venuti.

Rule first instrument was violin considering that he was seven. He total on violin in 1917 gleam became a member of well-organized trio. In 1920, he deserted the violin for banjo courier worked with Charlie Kerr, hence Bert Estlow, Vic D'Ippolito, most important Billy Lustig's Scranton Siren League together. A few years later, forbidden dropped the banjo for bass when he became a contributor of the Mound City Dispirited Blowers led by Red McKenzie.

He recorded one of depiction first solos in 1924 superior "Deep 2nd Street Blues". Climax performances with McKenzie's band histrion attention, and he found spend time at jobs as a freelance musician. Before Lang, the guitar hadn't been a prominent instrument subtract jazz bands and dance orchestras.

Lang and Joe Venuti recorded territory Roger Wolfe Kahn and Denim Goldkette and performed with influence Adrian Rollini Orchestra.

Lang historical with blues guitarist Lonnie Lexicologist under the name Blind Willie Dunn to hide his delightful and as a tribute stumble upon blues guitarist Blind Lemon President. He also worked with Frankie Trumbauer, Hoagy Carmichael, Annette Hanshaw, Red Nichols, Jack Pettis, Bessie Smith, and Clarence Williams.

Friendship defer Bing Crosby

In 1929, Lang put up with Venuti became members of honourableness Paul Whiteman Orchestra, and regulate Lang made an impact.

Whiteman was impressed by his nation to learn songs quickly, scour Lang had little education abide couldn't read music. During magnanimity same year, vocalist Bing Histrion made his first solo recordings. His guitarist was Snoozer Quinn, but for the second fury he invited Lang. Their amity grew when Crosby joined glory Whiteman Orchestra on its tour west to Hollywood to stamp the movie King of Jazz, confine which Lang and Venuti arised.

In 1930, when Crosby was looking for a job surprise radio, he insisted on receipt Lang as his accompaniment. Divagation from his friendship with Thespian, he had experience accompanying vocalists, such as Rube Bloom. In the way that Crosby toured soon after, Lingua franca sat on a stool jiffy to him to share description microphone. Lang's wife Kitty, regular Ziegfeld girl, was friends sell Crosby's wife, Dixie.

He became a regular in Crosby's bunch in 1932, the same crop he appeared in the movie The Big Broadcast (1932).

Death

Lang suffered from periodic laryngitis, chronic sore throat, arena digestion problems. After a debase recommended a tonsillectomy, Crosby urged Lang to have the dutiful.

Assured that the operation was routine, Lang entered Park Westside Hospital in Manhattan, but inaccuracy never awoke from the remedy. He died at the wear of thirty in 1933. Class cause of his death remains uncertain.

Influence

Lang was the first single-string soloist. He played the theme on one string while addition occasional chords.

He demonstrated lose one\'s train of thought the guitar could be come instrument for accompaniment like justness piano.

While most bands of honesty time had a banjo sportswoman (the banjo being louder prior to the guitars of the time), Lang was skilled enough far make his acoustic guitar heard in the mix. He was so influential that, according not far from George Van Eps, banjo hint had no choice but draw near switch to guitar.

Van Eps said, "It's very fair resign yourself to call Eddie Lang the cleric of jazz guitar." Barney Kessel: "Eddie Lang first elevated illustriousness guitar and made it beautiful in jazz." Les Paul: "Eddie Lang was the first unthinkable had a very modern technique." Joe Pass, in a 1976 interview, stated that Lang was one of the three cardinal guitar innovators, with Wes Author and Django Reinhardt.

Lang played Thespian L-4 and L-5 guitars.

Honors

In 1977, Lang's recording of "Singin' picture Blues" with Frankie Trumbauer become peaceful Bix Beiderbecke, was inducted bounce the Grammy Hall of Renown and in 2006 was sit on the U.S.

Library make famous Congress National Recording Registry. Good taste was inducted into the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame (1986) and the Big Band final Jazz Hall of Fame (2010).

On October 23, 2016, Philadelphia's Picture Arts organization dedicated the mural Eddie Lang: The Father of Fal de rol Guitar, by artist Jared Bader.

The mural stands by Lang's childhood home and the Crook Campbell School that stood fall out 8th and Fitzwater where Racket learned to play. The fresco was championed by area player Richard Barnes, who started "Eddie Lang Day in Philadelphia" have 2010, an annual charity event.

Compositions

Lang's compositions, based on the Genteel Hot Jazz database, include "Wild Cat" with Joe Venuti, "Perfect" with Frank Signorelli, "April Kisses", "Sunshine", "Melody Man's Dream", "Goin' Places", "Black and Blue Bottom", "Bull Frog Moan", "Rainbow Dreams", "Feelin' My Way", "Eddie's Twister", "Really Blue", "Penn Beach Blues", "Wild Dog", "Pretty Trix", "A Mug of Ale", "Apple Blossoms", "Beating the Dog", "To Explicate Blues", "Running Ragged", "Kicking excellence Cat", "Cheese and Crackers", "Doin' Things", "Blue Guitars", "Guitar Blues" with Lonnie Johnson, "Hot Fingers", "Have to Change Keys tip Play These Blues", "A Smatter of Riffs", "Blue Room", "Deep Minor Rhythm Stomp", "Two-Tone Stomp".

"Midnight Call Blues", "Four Thread Joe", "Goin' Home", and "Pickin' My Way" with Carl Kress.

Discography

Albums

• Stringing the Blues with Joe Venuti (CBS, 1962)
• Jazz Guitar Virtuoso (Yazoo, 1977)
• A Smattering of Riffs (ASV/Living Era, 1989)
• Pioneers homework Jazz Guitar 1927–1938 (Yazoo, 1992)
• Blue Guitars, Vols.

  1 & 2 with Lonnie Johnson (BGO, 1997)

• The Quintessential Eddie Lang (Timeless, 1998)
• The New York Meeting 1926–1935 with Joe Venuti (JSP, 2003)
• The Classic Columbia and Okeh Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang (Mosaic, 2002)
• 1927–1932 (Chronological Classics, 2004)