The Essential Eddie Lang
“Setting an example for all to follow, Eddie put to work technical devices, some established in formal music and others of his own invention, that had never been used in jazz before.” (Jazz Masters Of The Twenties; Richard Hadlock, Macmillan Publishing, 1965).
Eddie Lang’s music was anything but one dimensional. He had the ability to express himself in virtually any musical environment he found himself; from pop, novelty, blues, and jazz, to ethnic, and classical. A studied musician with an intuitive personality, Lang crafted the modern guitar method by bringing together a wide variety of elements such as advanced chord harmonies and inversions, four to the bar rhythm, a method of simultaneously playing melody, chords, and bass lines, distinctive single string solo’s, artificial harmonics, and a command of both the plectrum and finger style techniques.
These 25 “essential” Eddie Lang recordings clearly display the work of an original, creative, and inventive artist.
April Kisses
Eddie Lang
April 1, 1927
Guitar solo instrumental with piano accompaniment.
April Kisses | mp3 | 772KB
Deep Second Street Blues
Mound City Blue Blowers
December 10, 1924
Acoustic recording
Novelty band instrumental (comb & paper, kazoo, guitar, banjo)
Eddie Lang’s premier recording with this novelty group, and his first guitar session. A slow blues (Lang was co-composer), the guitarist offers some very advanced accompaniment along with twelve bars of a moaning blues melody/solo of his own. One of the earliest if not the first recorded jazz guitar solo.
Deep Second Street Blues | mp3 | 736KB
Gettin’ Told
Mound City Blue Blowers
February 9, 1925
Acoustic recording
Novelty band instrumental (comb & paper, kazoo, guitar, banjo)
The two bar guitar break @ 1:01 displays Eddie Lang’s fully developed technique way beyond the sparse blues based solos he most frequently played. With eight beats at his disposal, Lang pauses for the first two then blasts off this breathtaking double-time single string break.
Gettin' Told | mp3 | 672KB
I’m Sitting On Top Of The World
Ross Gorman and His Orchestra
October 29, 1925
Orchestra featuring guitar solo, and accompaniment by Eddie Lang.
The earliest known dance band recording where the guitar has a starring role; sixteen bars of single string, and another sixteen as accompaniment to Red Nichols trumpet (including a pre-arranged augmented break). And just when you think Lang’s job is complete, he reappears with a two bar single string break, eight bars of silky accompaniment for muted trumpet and clarinet, and a bluesy final chord. Three ingredients that further make for essential listening; Lang’s close proximity to the microphone, the exquisite quality of the electrical recording (Columbia Records), and the listener is treated to over three minutes of music sans vocal.
I'm Sitting On Top Of The World | mp3 | 748KB
No More Worryin’
Ross Gorman and His Orchestra
March 24, 1926
Orchestra featuring guitar solo by Eddie Lang.
Eddie Lang’s “solo flight.”
Though Lang had more microphone time on Gorman’s “I’m Sitting On Top Of The World” (Oct, 1925), his guitar playing is much more animated on this snappy two-beat instrumental recording. Lang’s sixteen bars of single string improvisation (two eight bar passages) are punctuated by brass figures (ala the Swing Era) as he effortlessly glides over the rhythm section. Very modern stuff for 1926.
With recordings such as this, the powers-that-be were quick to realize the guitar could greatly enhance the sound and texture of recordings, and Lang was just the man to do it. The Bee’s Knees for band leaders, orchestrators, and recording managers, word spread like wildfire that there was a “new guy” with a “new sound” in town.
No More Worryin’ | mp3 | 712KB
Trumpet Sobs
We Three (Red Nichols)
March 24, 1926 (circa)
Acoustic recording
Small jazz band instrumental (trumpet, piano, guitar, percussion).
A feature for Nichols’ trumpet, it is the guitarist who casts the larger shadow on this trite piece. “Trumpet Sobs” is Lang’s warm up to “Singin’ the Blues,” pre-dating his dramatic 1927 OKeh recording with Frank Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke by eleven months. Featuring an eight bar guitar intro (four rubato with harmonics and another four of bouncy chords that set the tempo), the guitar dominates with obligato accompaniment, a sixteen bar single string solo, chord and single string breaks. The recording suffers from unimaginative playing by Nichols, and surprisingly, pianist Arthur Schutt. Sonically, Pathe Records antiquated acoustic recording process is lifeless. On the other hand, Lang is seated close to the recording horn, ubiquitous and inspired.
Trumpet Sobs | mp3 | 732KB
Stringing The Blues (Take 11)
Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang
November 8, 1926
Violin and guitar duet instrumental.
Not a blues, “Stringing The Blues” is a Venuti-Lang variation on the chords of “Tiger Rag”. It took three recording sessions and eleven takes to make this recording. For Venuti & Lang, that’s an eternity as this was a piece they’d been playing for years, but for some reason, couldn’t get it together in the studio. Two takes survive; this is the faster of the two.
Stringing The Blues (Take 11) | mp3 | 676KB
Hurricane
Red Nichols and His Five Pennies
January 12, 1927
Small jazz band instrumental.
Hurricane | mp3 | 720KB
Wildcat
Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang
January 24, 1927
Violin and guitar duet instrumental with piano accompaniment.
Wildcat | mp3 | 700KB
Look at the World and Smile
Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra
February 1, 1927
Orchestra featuring Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang.
This is not the first dance band recording to feature the dynamic duo in tandem. That occasion took place some three plus months prior in the fall of 1926, not long after Venuti & Lang became permanent New York City residents (I’d Rather Be The Girl In Your Arms: Jean Goldkette and his Orchestra, October 15, 1926). Essential Venuti/Lang, “Look at the World and Smile” captures in sixteen bars a joyous spontaneity of spirit, and foot-stomping/feel good music. Their presence is elevated to even greater heights thanks to the addition of pioneer jazz bassist Steve Brown. A more dramatic entrance they couldn’t have hoped for. And, that “lift” you feel when the trio starts to play is courtesy of Brown.
Look at the World and Smile | mp3 | 620KB
Singin’ The Blues
Frank Trumbauer
February 4, 1927
Orchestra featuring Frank Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke & Eddie Lang.
Singin' The Blues | mp3 | 708KB
Doin’ Things
Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang
May 4, 1927
Violin and guitar duet instrumental with piano accompaniment.
Doin' Things | mp3 | 692KB
Goin’ Places
Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang
May 4, 1927
Violin and guitar duet instrumental with piano accompaniment.
Goin' Places | mp3 | 708KB
Prelude Op. 3 No. 2
Eddie Lang
May 28, 1927
Guitar solo instrumental.
Prelude Op. 3 | mp3 | 744KB
Four String Joe
Joe Venuti’s Blue Four
November 15, 1927
Small jazz band instrumental.
Four String Joe | mp3 | 712KB
Knockin’ A Jug
Louis Armstrong
March 5, 1929
Small jazz band instrumental.
Knockin' A Jug | mp3 | 780KB
Kitchen Man
Bessie Smith
May 8, 1929
Vocal with guitar and piano accompaniment.
Kitchen Man | mp3 | 724KB
Midnight Call (Blues)
Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson
October 9, 1929
Guitar duet instrumental featuring Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson.
Midnight Call (Blues) | mp3 | 792KB
A Bench In The Park
Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra
March 21, 1930
Orchestra featuring guitar accompaniment by Eddie Lang.
A Bench In The Park | mp3 | 696KB
I Found A New Baby
Joe Venuti's Blue Four
November 12, 1930
Small jazz band instrumental.
I Found A New Baby | mp3 | 756KB
It’s The Girls
Boswell Sisters
July 8, 1931
Vocal trio with small jazz band featuring guitar accompaniment by Eddie Lang.
It's The Girls | mp3 | 764KB
Pickin’ My Way
Eddie Lang & Carl Kress
January 15, 1932
Guitar duet instrumental featuring Eddie Lang & Carl Kress.
Pickin' My Way | mp3 | 712KB
Some Of These Days
Bing Crosby
May 26, 1932
Vocal with orchestra featuring guitar accompaniment by Eddie Lang.
Some Of These Days | mp3 | 612KB
Please
Bing Crosby
September 16, 1932
Vocal with orchestra featuring guitar accompaniment by Eddie Lang.
Please | mp3 | 748KB
Jig Saw Puzzle Blues
Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang’s Blue Five
February 28, 1933
Small jazz band instrumental.
Jig Saw Puzzle Blues | mp3 | 812KB