Eddie Lang
Up to three years ago I hardly knew anything about Eddie Lang. I think it was a Reading-based guitarist who drew my attention to the man whose real name was Salvatore Massaro.
Lang was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 25 1902. His father was a violin and guitar maker and under his influence Eddie picked up a string instrument. He received tuition on violin as a kid and attended the same school with fellow fiddler Joe Venuti. The two became close friends and often worked together later on. (I have some tapes from this collaboration.)
Eddie Lang played violin with a local band and on banjo towards the end of World War I. He was already playing guitar at that time but switched between instruments until the mid-twenties. After a string of shorter engagements, Lang joined the Mound City Blue Blowers in 1924 and visited London with this group. From 1925 onwards, Lang played guitar with numerous quite different bands of all genres and sizes. In 1926 he teamed up with his buddy Joe Venuti again. The two joined Roger Wolfe Kahn's Society Band which played in a style that had little in common with the music Lang recorded under is own name. His most fascinating records were made along side blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson. However, racial segregation prevented this incredible duo from performing in public.
Lang was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 25 1902. His father was a violin and guitar maker and under his influence Eddie picked up a string instrument. He received tuition on violin as a kid and attended the same school with fellow fiddler Joe Venuti. The two became close friends and often worked together later on. (I have some tapes from this collaboration.)
Eddie Lang played violin with a local band and on banjo towards the end of World War I. He was already playing guitar at that time but switched between instruments until the mid-twenties. After a string of shorter engagements, Lang joined the Mound City Blue Blowers in 1924 and visited London with this group. From 1925 onwards, Lang played guitar with numerous quite different bands of all genres and sizes. In 1926 he teamed up with his buddy Joe Venuti again. The two joined Roger Wolfe Kahn's Society Band which played in a style that had little in common with the music Lang recorded under is own name. His most fascinating records were made along side blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson. However, racial segregation prevented this incredible duo from performing in public.
