Eddie Lang, Carl Kress, Dick McDonough • Pioneers Of Jazz Guitar - 1927-1939

 

Eddie Lang was the first Jazz guitar virtuoso. A boyhood friend of Joe Venuti, Lang took violin lessons for 11 years but switched to guitar before he turned professional in 1924 with the Mound City Blue Blowers. He was soon in great demand for recording dates, both in the jazz world and in pop settings. His sophisticated European sounding chord patterns made him a unique accompanist, but he was also a fine soloist. He often played with violinist Venuti and with Red Nichols's Five Pennies , Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke (most memorably on the song “Singin' the Blues”). He played in many orchestras including Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra , Jean Goldkette and with Paul Whiteman (appearing on one short number with Venuti in Whiteman's 1930 film “King Of Jazz”). Lang was a versatile player who could back Blues singers, play Classical music, and jam with the greatest musicians of his day. He was the house guitarist at Okeh from 1926 to 1933. Using the pseudonym of Blind Willie Dunn, Lang often teamed up with Blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson. Eddie Lang led several dates of his own between 1927 and 1929, including an interesting session with King Oliver and Johnson, under the name of Blind Willie Dunn and his Gin Bottle Four. He worked regularly with Bing Crosby during the early 1930s and appears briefly with him in the film “The Big Broadcast”. Tragically his premature death was caused by a poorly performed operation, where he lost too much blood during a routine tonsillectomy


One of the great guitarists of the 1930s, Carl Kress had a very sophisticated chordal style on acoustic guitar. He originally played banjo before gradually shifting to guitar. Kress played with Paul Whiteman in 1926 and then became a very busy studio musician, recording with all of the top white musicians (including Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols' Five Pennies, and two classic duets with Eddie Lang) in those segregated days. Kress often teamed up with fellow guitarist Dick McDonough in the 1930s, he co-owned the Onyx Club on 52nd Street for a time, and continued working in the studios into the 1960s, playing during his last years in a duo with George Barnes. Most of Carl Kress' solo and duet (with McDonough) recordings from the 1930s are long overdue to be reissued.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/carl-kress-mn0000792102/biography


With the premature death of Eddie Lang in 1933, Dick McDonough and Carl Kress were considered his likely successors both on jazz dates and in the studios. McDonough was already a very busy player. He had started out in 1927 as a banjoist with Red Nichols, had switched over to guitar, and appeared on hundreds of sessions, including with the Dorsey Brothers, the Boswell Sisters, Joe Venuti, and in more commercial music. His work accelerated with Lang's passing, he occasionally teamed up with Kress, and during 1936-1937, McDonough led a notable series of medium-size group recordings, few of which have ever been reissued. McDonough also recorded with Glenn Miller's unsuccessful big band of 1937 and made a notable appearance on an all-star date with Fats Waller, Tommy Dorsey, Bunny Berigan, and George Wettling that was issued as "A Jam Session at Victor." A strong acoustic guitarist who emphasized chords in his solos (influencing Marty Grosz decades later), Dick McDonough's alcoholism cut short his life much too early.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dick-mcdonough-mn0000256511/biography

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Eddie Lang fue el primer virtuoso de la guitarra de jazz. Amigo de la infancia de Joe Venuti, Lang tomó clases de violín durante 11 años, pero se pasó a la guitarra antes de hacerse profesional en 1924 con los Mound City Blue Blowers. Pronto fue muy solicitado para grabar, tanto en el mundo del jazz como en el del pop. Sus sofisticados patrones de acordes de sonido europeo le convertían en un acompañante único, pero también era un buen solista. A menudo tocaba con el violinista Venuti y con los Five Pennies de Red Nichols, Frankie Trumbauer y Bix Beiderbecke (sobre todo en la canción "Singin' the Blues"). Tocó en muchas orquestas, incluyendo la de Roger Wolfe Kahn, Jean Goldkette y con Paul Whiteman (apareciendo en un breve número con Venuti en la película de Whiteman de 1930 "King Of Jazz"). Lang era un músico versátil que podía acompañar a cantantes de blues, tocar música clásica y tocar con los mejores músicos de su época. Fue el guitarrista de la casa Okeh de 1926 a 1933. Utilizando el seudónimo de Blind Willie Dunn, Lang se asoció a menudo con el guitarrista de Blues Lonnie Johnson. Eddie Lang dirigió varias fechas propias entre 1927 y 1929, incluyendo una interesante sesión con King Oliver y Johnson, bajo el nombre de Blind Willie Dunn y su Gin Bottle Four. Trabajó regularmente con Bing Crosby durante los primeros años de la década de 1930 y aparece brevemente con él en la película "The Big Broadcast". Trágicamente, su muerte prematura fue causada por una operación mal realizada, en la que perdió demasiada sangre durante una amigdalectomía rutinaria


Carl Kress, uno de los grandes guitarristas de los años 30, tenía un estilo de acordes muy sofisticado en la guitarra acústica. En un principio tocaba el banjo, antes de pasarse gradualmente a la guitarra. Kress tocó con Paul Whiteman en 1926 y luego se convirtió en un músico de estudio muy ocupado, grabando con todos los mejores músicos blancos (incluyendo Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols' Five Pennies, y dos dúos clásicos con Eddie Lang) en aquellos días de segregación. Kress se asoció a menudo con su compañero guitarrista Dick McDonough en la década de 1930, fue copropietario del Onyx Club de la calle 52 durante un tiempo, y siguió trabajando en los estudios hasta la década de 1960, tocando durante sus últimos años en un dúo con George Barnes. La mayoría de las grabaciones de Carl Kress en solitario y a dúo (con McDonough) de los años 30 deberían haberse reeditado hace tiempo.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/carl-kress-mn0000792102/biography


Con la prematura muerte de Eddie Lang en 1933, Dick McDonough y Carl Kress fueron considerados sus probables sucesores tanto en las citas de jazz como en los estudios. McDonough ya era un músico muy ocupado. Había empezado en 1927 como banjoista con Red Nichols, se había pasado a la guitarra y había aparecido en cientos de sesiones, incluso con los Dorsey Brothers, las Boswell Sisters, Joe Venuti y en música más comercial. Su trabajo se aceleró con el fallecimiento de Lang, se asoció ocasionalmente con Kress, y durante 1936-1937, McDonough lideró una notable serie de grabaciones de grupos medianos, de los que pocos se han reeditado. McDonough también grabó con la infructuosa big band de Glenn Miller de 1937 e hizo una notable aparición en una cita con Fats Waller, Tommy Dorsey, Bunny Berigan y George Wettling que se publicó como "A Jam Session at Victor". Un fuerte guitarrista acústico que enfatizaba los acordes en sus solos (influyendo en Marty Grosz décadas más tarde), el alcoholismo de Dick McDonough cortó su vida demasiado pronto.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dick-mcdonough-mn0000256511/biography

Tracks:
1 - Eddie’s Twister
2 - April Kisses
3 - Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2
4 - A Little Love, A Little Kiss
5 - Melody Man’s Dream
6 - Perfect
7 - Rainbow Dreams
8 - Add A Little Wiggle
9 - Jeanine I Dream Of Lilac Time
10 - I’ll Never Be The Same
11 - Church Street Sobbin’ Blues
12 - There’ll Be Some Changes Made
13 - Pickin’ My Way (Guitar Mania, Part 1)
14 - Feeling My Way (Guitar Mania, Part 2)
15 - Danzon
16 - Stage Fright
17 - Chicken-A-La-Swing
18 - Heat Wave
19 - Afterthoughts (In Three Movements) Part 1
20 - Afterthoughts (In Three Movements) Part 2 & 3
21 - Peg Leg Shuffle
22 - Helena
23 - Love Song
24 - Sutton Mutton


Credits:
    Chimes – Justin Ring (tracks: 11)
    Guitar – Carl Kress (tracks: 13 to 24), Dick McDonough (tracks: 15 to 18), Eddie Lang (tracks: 1 to 14)
    Piano – Arthur Schutt (tracks: 1 to 4), Frank Signorelli (tracks: 5 to 8), Rube Bloom (tracks: 9 to 12)

Label: Retrieval – RTR 79015
Released: 1997
Genre: Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/1466168-Eddie-Lang-Carl-Kress-Dick-McDonough-Pioneers-Of-Jazz-Guitar-1927-1939

 

 

 

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