No.1  EDDIE LANG'S ORCHESTRA - FREEZE AN' MELT

Eddie Lang was the first Jazz guitar virtuoso. A boyhood friend of , Lang took violin lessons for 11 years but switched to guitar before he turned professional in 1924 with the . 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 and with , and (most memorably on the song ""). He played in many orchestras including , and with (appearing on one short number with in 1930 film ""). 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 . Eddie Lang led several dates of his own between 1927 and 1929, including an interesting session with and , under the name of . 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. Bing was deeply disturbed by Lang's death, not only because he suddenly lost one of his best friends and most talented sidemen, but because he had personally urged Lang to have the operation.

Personnel on this great recording include Hoagy Carmichael, The Dorsey Brothers and Arthur Schutt!!

The Music of the Hot Five and the is considered by most critics to be among the finest recordings in Jazz history. On November 12th, 1925 made his first records that bore his name as bandleader. The songs on the Okeh 78 rpm record were , and . The band was made up mostly of musicians from . The first version of the band featured on clarinet, on trombone, on banjo and wife, on piano. These were informal  settings that all concerned remember as a good time. Louis picked all the musicians that he wanted to play on the sessions and the record company generally left them alone to do what they wanted. plays piano on all of the 1928 sessions.

DISC DETAILS

UK PARLOPHONE R 448 (1929)10" SHELLAC 78rpm 

CONDITION - EX+    NICE!