This week I thought I would present some guitar history and do a bit on Eddie Lang. Some say Eddie Lang was actually the very first jazz guitarist. He had quite an active recording career during the twenties and thirties and was a brilliant player in his day....

Online Bio from eddie-lang.com

Eddie Lang was the first to bring the guitar to jazz. He gave it a voice as a solo instrument in popular music and was, for two decades, the acknowledged master of the instrument, influencing a generation of guitarists who followed him. Eddie's highly advanced technical, harmonic and rhythmic skills saw him literally write the textbook for the modern guitar method. In his day, he was the most sought after studio and broadcast session musician, recording hundreds of discs with singers, dance bands, jazz groups, and novelty combos. He can be heard playing an integral role on some of the most significant records in the history of jazz.

As a master of the art of accompaniment, Eddie was Bing Crosby's personal accompanist. He showed no tolerance for racism and appeared on more record sessions with black artists (including Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith and Lonnie Johnson) than any white musician of his time, as well as a frequent and welcomed visitor to jam sessions in Harlem.

Eddie brought a "looser" feel to the rhythm of the jazz age, predating swing by 10 years. He recorded, unaccompanied, the first pop and jazz guitar solos, the first jazz guitar duets and, during his lifetime, influenced nearly every banjo player to switch to the guitar. With Joe Venuti, he created a style of presenting jazz in a context not unlike chamber music, bringing a sophisticated sound to the music of the Roaring Twenties.

The name Eddie Lang was synonymous with the guitar for decades and he remained the single most important guitarist in America for 15 years (nearly six years past his death).

Visit the website dedicated to Eddie Lang: http://www.eddie-lang.com

Doc Dosco is a jazz guitarist, composer and audio consultant living in Los Angeles, CA. His website is located at http://www.docdosco.com, where you can find more information on the 'What's Hot in Jazz Guitar' columns, audio clips of Doc's playing, and many additional features. Doc endorse Heritage Guitars and is a featured artist on their website. He also endorses the new Pignose Valve Tube Amps -- great for jazz (and anything else!)