Lane, Eddie

Lane, Eddie (originally, Massaro, Salvatore, pioneering jazz guitarist; b. Philadelphia, Oct. 25, 1902; d. N.Y, March 26, 1933. His father was a fretted-instrument maker; Eddie’s sister, Eadie, worked on guitar during the 1930s. Eddie began on violin at age seven, and studied with teachers in Philadelphia. While still at school, he befriended Joe Venuti, with whom he would work for much of his career. He first worked professionally on violin at L’Aiglon restaurant, Philadelphia, then worked on banjo with Chick Granese’s Trio (c. 1918). He played banjo, guitar, and doubled on violin with Charlie Kerr’s Band (1920–23). He then played with Bert Estlow in Atlantic City, and Vic D’lppolito (1923), and played a brief variety tour with Frank Fay and Barbara Stanwyck. He spent six months with Billy Lustig’s Scranton Sirens until summer 1924, then joined Mound City Blue Blowers, and visited London with them. He did prolific freelance radio and recording work on guitar from 1925. In 1926 he spent the summer season with Vic D’ippolito, and then September with Joe Venuti’s Band in N.Y. Two months later Lang and Venuti joined Roger Wolfe Kahn’s band; they also did a series of theatre shows for Don Voorhees, and played in Adrian Rollings short-lived big band in October 1927. Lang did prolific innovative recordings with Red Nichols and His 5 Pennies (1926), and made recordings with Trumbauer and Beiderbecke in 1927. Venuti and Lang co-led at the Vanity Club, in N.Y. (autumn 1928); from May 1929 until May 1930 they both worked with Paul Whiteman, including appearing in the film King of Jazz. Among Lang’s many recordings during this period, his duets with African-American guitarist Lonnie Johnson were particularly innovative; because of the controversy of black and white musicians recording together, Lang took the pseudonym of Willie Dunn for these recordings. Lang subsequently did extensive freelance work, and then worked again with Roger Wolfe Kahn (spring 1932). For the last year of his life Lang was mainly employed as accompanist to Bing Crosby. He died from complications following a tonsil-lectomy.

Lang’s interactive finger picking accompaniment, sometimes recorded very prominently, helped to create a novel style of rhythm section that was an unacknowledged factor in the success of ‘Singin’ the Blues” and other recordings. He introduced classical technique and counterpoint to jazz guitar. His single string soloing, however, was quite limited. The Lang-Venuti duet inspired Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and French violinist Stephane Grappelli to form their famous Quintet of the Hot Club of France in the 1930s. Lang is prominent on many recordings by Bing Crosby, the Boswell Sisters, Red Nichols, Jean Goldkette, Paul Whiteman, Joe Venuti, Frankie Trumbauer, and Bix Beiderbecke.

Discography

”Stringing the Blues” (1926); “Handful of Riffs” (1927). louis armstrong:Hot Fives & Sevens, Vol. 3 (1928); Louis Armstrong and His Oral. (1928–1929) (1929); Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1934). bix beiderbecke:Indispensable (1924); Bix Beiderbecke, Vol 1: Singin’ the Blues (1927); Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 2: At the Jazz Band Ball (1927); Felix the Cat (1993); Wa Da Da (1994); His Best Recordings (1996). the boswell sisters:L’Art Vocal, Vol. 13: La Selection (1930); Boswell Sisters Collection, Vol. 1: 1931-1932 (1932); Air-shots & Rarities 1930-1935 (1935); Okay, America!: Alternate Takes and Rarities (1935); Boswell Sisters Collection, Vol. 2 (2000). ray charles:Early Years (1988); Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection (1993). bingcrosby:Bing! His Legendary Years, 1931 to 1957 (1957); 16 Most Requested Songs (1992); Classic Crosby: 1931 to 1938 (1994). lonnie johnson:Steppin’on the Blues (1990); Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1-7 (1925–1932) (1991); Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 4 (1928–1929) (1991);Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 5 (1925–1932) (1992); Blues in My Fingers (1995); Swing Out Rhythm (2000). THE MILLS brothers:Four Boys and a Guitar (1931); Mills Brothers, Vol. 1: 1931-1934 (1998). red nichols/red nichols and his 5 pennies:Rhythm of the Day (1925); 1923-1931 (1996); Introduction: His Best Recordings 1927-1931 (1998). bessie smith:Essential Bessie Smith (1923); Complete Recordings, Vol. 4 (1928); Bessie Smith Story, Vol. 3 (1951); 1925-1933 (1987); Do Your Duty: The Essential Recordings of Bessie Smith (1995); Blue Spirit Blues (1995); Bessie Smith Sings the Jazz (1996); 1921-1933 (1998). joe venuti/joe venuti& eddie lang:Joe Venut and Eddie Lang (1926–1933) (1933); Violin Jazz 1927-1934 (1934); Stringing the Blues (2000).

—John Chilton, Who‘s Who of Jazz/Lewis Porter