Eddie Lang: Early Years (1923-1926)

Eddie Lang: Early Years (1923-1926)

1. Good Morning, Dearie Medley (Intro: Rose Marie) - Charlie Kerr’s Orchestra (Edison, 8 Mar. 1923) [0:00]
2. Open Your Heart - Charlie Kerr’s Orchestra (Edison, 25 Oct. 1923) [3:18]
3. Deep Second Street Blues - Mound City Blue Blowers (Brunswick, 10 Dec. 1924) [6:54]
4. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street - McKenzie’s Candy Kids (Vocalion, 12 Dec. 1924) [10:03]
5. Stretch it Boy - McKenzie’s Candy Kids (Vocalion, 26 Jan. 1925) [13:00]
6. Best Black - McKenzie’s Candy Kids (Vocalion, 26 Jan. 1925) [16:03]
7. Best Black - Gilt-Edged Four (English Columbia, ca. late May/Early June 1925) [19:00]
8. The Morning After Blues - McKenzie’s Candy Kids (Vocalion, 7 Aug. 1925) [22:18]
9. I’d Rather Be the Girl in Your Arms - Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra (Victor, 15 Oct. 1926) [25:14]
10. Sunday - Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra (Victor, 15 Oct. 1926) [28:16]
11. Idolizing - Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra (Victor, 12 Oct. 1926) [31:21]
12. Trumpet Sobs - We Three (Pathe, 22 Mar. 1926) [34:16]
13. Get With - The Red Heads (Pathe, 4 Nov. 1926) [37:10]
14. Get a Load of This - The Red Heads (Pathe, 4 Nov. 1926) [39:35]
15. Old Folks Shuffle - Jimmy Lytell (Pathe, 20 Nov. 1926) [42:43]
16. Red House Blues - Jimmy Lytell (Pathe, 20 Nov. 1926) [45:22]
17. Washboard Blues - Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (Brunswick, 8 Dec. 1926) [48:12]
18. That’s No Bargain - Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (Brunswick, 8 Dec. 1926) [51:19]

Transferred with 3.0ML lateral VM670SP and 3.0ML vertical VM95SP Audiotechnica cartridges via an Audiotechnica AT-LP120 Turntable. Discs from Colin Hancock Collection. Discographical Information from Rust’s Jazz Records, Nick Dellow, Albert Haim, and Mark Berresford. Thanks to Jonathan David Holmes for gifting a duplicate copy of the Gilt-Edged Four’s recording of “Best Black.”

Eddie Lang is considered one of the founding fathers of jazz guitar. With an impact on the music second to the likes of Armstrong in scope, his contributions as a soloist, ensemble player, and backing vocalists have inspired countless jazz string players. This set of 18 recordings looks at some of Lang’s earliest recordings, ranging from his first with Charlie Kerr’s Philadelphia band on banjo to just before he began to take off as a soloist in 1927. Also included are many highly influential recordings with the Mound City Blue Blowers, his legendary Gilt Edged Four recording in London, some fine early moments with the Jean Goldkette band, and a suite of five Pathe recordings made in an intimate setting with Red Nichols and Jimmy Lytell. Here is a rare opportunity to hear Lang’s own development in real time, and many of his finest early solos.