Eddie Lang (October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) was an American jazz guitarist, considered by many to be the finest of his era, and to be the greatest rhythm player of all time.
Lang was born Salvatore Massaro, the son of an Italian-American[1] instrument maker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At first, he took violin lessons for 11 years. In school he became friends with Joe Venuti, with whom he would work for much of his career. He was playing professionally by about 1918, playing violin, banjo, and guitar. He worked with various bands in the USA's north-east, worked in London (late 1924 to early 1925), then settled in New York City. He played with the bands of Venuti, Adrian Rollini, Roger Wolfe Kahn and Jean Goldkette in addition to doing a large amount of freelance radio and recording work. In 1929 he joined Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, and can be seen and heard in the movie The King of Jazz. When Bing Crosby left Whiteman, Lang went with Bing as his accompanist and can be seen with him in the 1932 movie Big Broadcast. Lang also played under the pseudonym Blind Willie Dunn on a number of blues records with Lonnie Johnson. Eddie Lang died from a sudden hemorrhage following a tonsillectomy in New York City.
External links
Bibliography
Eddie Lang - Stringin' The Blues written by Adriano Mazzoletti, Pantheon Editore, Italy.
Notes
- ^ Lang's father was born in Monteroduni, an italian village in Molise. The township of Monteroduni hosts every year a commemorative "Eddie Lang Jazz Festival". See [1]
