Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

LANG, Eddie

(b Salvatore Massaro, 25 Oct. '02, Philadelphia; d 26 March '33, NYC) Guitarist; one of the best and a legend of early jazz. His father made fretted instruments; violinist Joe Venuti was a schoolfriend; Lang began on violin as a child. Worked in restaurants and variety from '18; joined Mound City Blue Blowers and went to Europe with them '24; already famous, he recorded prolifically from '25. With Venuti '26, then they both went to Roger Wolfe Kahn's band, Adrian Rollini's big band '27, Paul Whiteman '29--30 incl. film King Of Jazz. Again with Kahn '32, worked as accompanist for Bing Crosby; died of complications following tonsillectomy. Lang practically invented jazz guitar, playing four-to-the-bar rhythm, often with a newly-created chord on each stroke, his solo work sparkling with invention; furthermore he was adaptable, with a deep feeling for the blues. When Frank Sinatra saw Crosby on tour and was inspired to become a singer, Tony Mottola and Al Viola were similarly inspired by Lang on the same tour. Lang played on virtually all of Venuti's small-group sides; as Ed Lang and his Orchestra he made septet sides with Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and big-band- sides with Hoagy Carmichael on piano, all '29; with J. C. Johnson on piano, King Oliver, Lonnie Johnson and Carmichael on percussion as Blind Will Dunn's Gin Bottle Four. His most intimate recordings were among the most sought-after of collectors' items until reissued in the LP era: duets with Venuti (accompanied on piano by Frank Signorelli), guitar solos (usually accompanied by Arthur Schutt, Rube Bloom or Signorelli), and guitar duets: two sides with Carl Kress and (as Blind Willie Dunn) ten with Lonnie Johnson. Compilation Jazz Guitar Virtuoso on Yazoo; Venuti's Violin Jazz on Yazoo has more Lang. Two LPs of Lang and Johnson, one of Lang and Venuti on Australian Swaggie label were good compilations; two- CD set Blue Guitars on Beat Goes On (UK) is good value. Kress (b 20 Oct. '07, Newark NJ; d 10 June '65, Reno NV) also duetted with Dick McDonough, George Barnes; played banjo in trio '60 with Clarence Hutchenrider.