by Doc Dosco
http://www.docdosco.com

This week we feature jazz guitarist George Van Eps.

I have run a ‘guitar legends of the past’ series before, and I would
like to present a column on George Van Eps this week. Happily, I got to
see George Van Eps play his 7 string guitar here in LA shortly before
his before his death in 1998. Even at his advanced age he was a
marvelous player — truly inspiring. He sounded like miniature orchestra
all by himself with his use of lush voicings, and an ability to
incorporate moving bass lines in his playing. Of course, playing the 7
string guitar that he helped develop certainly added to his unique
sound. There is not a great deal of information on George Van Eps on the
web, however I have located a short bio.

George Van Eps online bio:

Born 7 August 1913, Plainfield, New Jersey, USA, d. 29 November 1998,
Newport Beach, California, USA.

The son of the famous banjoist Fred Van Eps, George played the banjo
professionally before he was a teenager. At the age of 13 he heard Eddie
Lang, decided to switch to guitar and within a couple of years was
earning a reputation as a teacher. In the late 20s and early 30s he
worked with a number of bands, including those of Benny Goodman and Ray
Noble, and also played with his idol, Lang, in the Smith Ballew band.
During the late 30s and for much of the following two decades he did
studio work in Hollywood, radio dates, wrote a textbook on guitar and
devised his own seven-string instrument, appeared in various bands
(including Noble’s) and made infrequent records with artists such as
Matty Matlock, Wild Bill Davison, Jess Stacy and Ralph Sutton.

In the 60s and 70s his playing activities were restricted through poor
health but in the 80s he made a return to the jazz scene, playing at
festivals in the USA and Europe. In the 90s he recorded sessions with
the modern virtuoso Howard Alden. A marvellously gifted technician with
an inventive mind, Van Eps was very much a musician’s musician. In
contrast, his popularity with audiences was limited, owing in part to
the comparative obscurity in which he chose to spend the greater part of
his working life. (bio thanks to Lycos Music)

George Van Eps didn’t make very many recordings, but the ones he
did make are priceless. Albums I could find are: (1994) Keepin’ Time,
(1992) Seven & Seven, (1991) Hand-Crafted Swing, (1968) Soliloquy,
(1967) George Van Eps’ Seven-String Guitar, (1965) My Guitar, (1956)
Mellow Guitar.

More info on George Van Eps at Classic Jazz Guitar:

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=30

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 with Jazz Guitar’ columns, audio clips of Doc’s playing, and many additional features. Doc endorses Heritage Guitars and is featured artist on their website. He also endorses the new Pignose Valve Tube Amps — great for jazz (and anything else!)