The Brilliance of Eddie Lang
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A mini-documentary about Eddie Lang, "the father of jazz guitar".
Although he remains a relatively obscure figure to the wider population, Eddie Lang is celebrated as the father of jazz guitar amongst musicians. Born Salvatore Massaro, he was the son of an Italian-American instrument maker and grew up surrounded by music. As a teenager he adopted the anglicised name Eddie Lang and soon after his musical career began. After short-lived runs as a violinist and banjo player, the early 20s saw the beginning of Eddie's career as a guitarist. Now playing with The Mound City Blue Blowers he was keen to show off the potential of the instrument. He is credited with almost single-handedly demonstrating the superiority of the guitar over the banjo in a jazz setting. His sophisticated chord voicing and sensitive approach to accompaniment were unmatched and his influence on subsequent guitar players is limitless.
Throughout his career, Eddie worked with a long list of musicians, however, two partnerships in particular stand out as especially significant. Firstly, his partnership with violinist Joe Venuti. Eddie and Joe had grown up together and remained almost inseparable throughout the 1920s and 30s.
The other significant partnership of Eddie's career was his affiliation with singer Bing Crosby. In 1929, Eddie was invited to appear on Bing's first solo recordings and by 1931 Eddie was working full-time as Bing's personal accompanist. In October 1932 the duo appeared in The Big Broadcast, which was Bing's first starring role in a full length film, and the first of a five-picture-deal.
A wholly positive reception to the film seemed to suggest that both Bing and Eddie were poised for prominence. For his next film, Bing wanted Eddie to have a speaking part. However, at the time the guitarist was suffering from laryngitis and has a chronically low and hoarse voice. Bing urged Eddie to have a tonsillectomy to cure his throat. On the 26th of March 1933, Eddie Lang died in the hours after the operation. The cause of death remains unknown.
Eddie Lang is buried in his hometown of Philadelphia and in 2016, a mural celebrating his life was unveiled close to his childhood home. Since 1991, the Eddie Lang jazz festival has been hosted in Italy and features both established guitarists as well as up and coming talent.
Пікірлер: 76
One must also check out Eddie Lang's collaboration with Lonnie Johnson. Those recordings are amazing.
@dalfonzowilliams4792
4 ай бұрын
They are amazing! And in an interesting note, Eddie Lang was credited as Blind Willie Dunn on the records at the time to mask the fact that a black musician and a white musician were recording together. And easily some of the greatest guitar recordings ever by two guitarists at their peaks!
He’s my favorite guitar player, and my Inspiration!
Dango Reinhardt was a very big Eddie Lang fan. While in the UK, he listened to everything of Lang he could find :) And Bing Crosby, sadly spent the rest of his days regretting telling Eddie to get that operation.
So I'm actually friends of his family and heard a lot about him growing up, and showed this to his family and we all wanted to say thank you for making this mini documentary. very much appreciated to have him get respect
My favourites are the collaborations with Lonnie Johnson - Hot Fingers is a timeless tour de force.
@wmaarse
6 ай бұрын
So right! The blue guitars.
Just started to hear Eddie's music. My guitar teacher gave me a huge playlist with jazz guitar players and his music catched my ear. It's the first time I hear a guitarist older than Charlie Christian. I can't wait to transcribe some of his music
Excellent video. Thank You for posting lots of footage of Salvatore Massaro I have never seen before on YT or elsewhere
Thanks not enough people no the true history and Eddie’s pivotal role it with regards to jazz guitar!
Her voice...
Eddie was loved by many famous guitarists including George Harrison from a group called The Beatles!
@williamj.sheehan2001
Жыл бұрын
Hey, I've heard of them!!! 😉 No, seriously, I'm not surprised that George appreciated Eddie. George was always a guy who didn't try to play "flashy for the sake of flashy", but wanted his playing to be "in service to the song." Seems like Eddie was that way too. I'm really glad I ran across this video today!
@delvaassante5699
Жыл бұрын
Yes, I can definitely see the influence of Eddie Lang in the way George Harrison plays.
@timeWaster76
10 ай бұрын
The Beatles who are they ? You mean the Traveling Wilburys don't you ?
@indefence7214
10 ай бұрын
@@timeWaster76 The Beatles, surely you've heard of them! They become the worlds biggest band after being heavily influenced by The Monkeys. 😉
@timeWaster76
10 ай бұрын
They stole their act you mean That one guy Paul I guess, used to be in wings @@indefence7214
This is just one of the more popular jazz guitarist of that time. There were lots of forgotten excellent jazz guitarists before him, also during his time. I blame lack of archivation and research for this.
Thank you !!!👍🎸
Please keep these videos coming
grazie for all you give us dear signor massaro
Wow! Thank you so much for this! So great to see him accompanying Ruth Etting.
His playing with Lonnie Johnson is how I learned of him.
Well done. Thank you.
We always lose the best ones too soon...
@williamj.sheehan2001
Жыл бұрын
Isn't that the truth? My idol, Terry Kath (the band Chicago's original guitarist), died around the same age as Eddie was when he died.
Great doco! Thank you
If you know and love Eddie's music you'll start to hear his playing on a lot of People's records. Emmett Miller for example. It seems like he just didn't get the credit in his short life for all the sides he played on as a session musician. Kind of the same story as Tampa Red who ended up dying broke in obscurity
eddie lang and later django !!! two genius ! es ! lol !
Awsome!
Nicely done.
I love his playing. He was under-appreciated as an accompanist. Listen to his recordings with Ruth Etting (first here), Bing Crosby and Annette Henshaw.
@richardmindemann6935
Жыл бұрын
His fantastic playing with the great Lonnie Johnson produced some duets that are still unsurpassed, imo.
@ianboard544
Жыл бұрын
@@richardmindemann6935 Thanks, will check that out. The more I listen to him the more I admire him.
Why is this man not a household name?
Guitar hero
Anthony Mitchell Django was the greatest, but don't forget that he was inspired by Eddie.
I’m just learning about Eddie Lang. What movie was that from at the beginning?
@jazzguitar6232
3 жыл бұрын
From the movie "A Regular Trouper", 1932
Lang was allegedly a big fan of Snoozer Quinn.
This is great info. But the narrator begins just as Lang begins playing…. Can’t hear the playing.
Why no mention of Lonnie Johnson? Another really productive important partnership. Is it because he had to go under the name of 'Blind Willie Dunn' to cover his friendship with, and admiration for, a black musician?
@stein-fredricsvendsen8530
Жыл бұрын
It was not allowed for Blacks and Whites to record togejter back then. Thats Why they gave Lonnie a different name back them.
@busterdouglas593
Жыл бұрын
This is a video about Eddie Lang specifically lol, shouldn't be a suprise they're talking about the father of jazz guitar and not Lonnie Johnson, who was a blues player.
@mingocity8548
29 күн бұрын
@@busterdouglas593this is not really true, on their duo recordings Lonnie played mostly the mindblowing jazz solo lines and Eddie the rhytm, so Lonnie can be as much, or even more considered to be the father of jazz guitar. And also electric blues . A man, who inspired Django, Charlie Christian , and T Bone Walker..
Bing Crosby killed Eddie Lange. OMG
@michaeldonaghey
9 ай бұрын
No it was death by doctor, all the- go today.
@keithwaites9991
4 ай бұрын
Killed by both. Tragedy.
This talking over the music stuff is strictly square
There will never be anyone will compare to Django Reinhardt
@mihaelritter4221
3 жыл бұрын
Django was the greatest, but don't forget that he was inspired by Edie.
@willwilson4494
2 жыл бұрын
Lang is the father, Django the son, and Oscar Aleman the holy ghost.
@TheJazzcritic
2 жыл бұрын
they are two artists with distinct differences and in their own ways are top players, I don't really believe in the concept of "best / better" I take something from all the top guys.
@mihaelritter4221
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheJazzcritic when Django dont was the Best, why are all they Guitar Players inspired from Django. Al di Meola, John Mclauglin, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, B.B. King and many many others, also many Rock Guitarist
@blackbirdsocietyorchestra8471
2 жыл бұрын
who gives a flying f*ck about django ? This video isn't about him , it's about Eddie Lang, the guitarist who inspired Django to start playing American Popular music
ALMOST single handedly replaced banjo with guitar in jazz? Django contributed at least 2 fingers 😉
- Alla chitarra, Eddie Lang! - ma nun era muort? Oh uajù, nun facit i sciem
@msjazzmeblues
Жыл бұрын
Then why are you here ?
Comparing Lang to Django is like comparing Liberace to Vladimir Horowitz :-)
@muhrvis
2 жыл бұрын
Reading your posts is like smelling a fart.
@fennelleastman8816
2 жыл бұрын
@@muhrvis Whoa! Quite the Oscar Wilde aren't we? :-)
@micoveliki8729
2 жыл бұрын
Why they played almost the same style actually the same style Jazz Django was only gypsy influenced
@fennelleastman8816
2 жыл бұрын
@@micoveliki8729 @Mico Veliki Django was far more influenced by French classical music than Gypsy music (you know he didn't record ONE Gypsy song in his entire life except for Ochichanya 'Dark Eyes' and a tune called Tears) But Django's technical virtuosity and more importantly his musical imagination was on a much higher level than Eddie Lang's. Django can only be compared with the greatest classical virtuosos like Heifetz or Vladimir Horowitz.Listen to him play his ''Mystery Pacific'' or his astonishing ''Improvisation No.1'' from 1937.Its staggering transcendental playing not just technically but musically as well...no doubt Eddie was a good solid jazzman but its absurd to think he and Django are somehow on the same level.Just use your ears!!
@msjazzmeblues
Жыл бұрын
@@fennelleastman8816: It's a bit unfair to Eddie Lang to make that comparison, since Django lived long enough to have a full and varied career. It might be more fair to compare Django's first six years of performance to Lang's short time in music.
Disappointing
@frankpfau9054
2 жыл бұрын
why? what exactly is disappointing?