Giants Of A Guitar - Eddie Lang , 1927

[vincenz55]

most of us prefer eddie so django get lost

[MrSkeeja]

@vincenz55 Django was and is the best.

[vincenz55]

if you could have a choice to listen to one guitarist live of any era in time who would it be? for me eddie lang tommy tedesco and paco de lucia

[n64wilbert]

I fucking love this song!!!!!

[nonukia3000]

Listen To what Stephan Grapelli said about Lang V.S Rinehardt He would know better than almost anyone..

Hell even the great Sagovia was stumped by Django

[lazur1]

@nonukia3000 I found a fairly elaborate interview with Grapelli from 1973, but I couldn't find him making an Lang / Reinhardt comparisons . (Any directions to other sources are appreciated.) All of the Segovia / Django stories are unverified. They range from him supposedly being astonished to not being impressed at all.

[johnnysgretsch]

I now see where django got his stuff, great guitarist..

[oker59]

@johnnysgretsch

I learned of Eddie Lang through Lonnie Johnson. Have to admit, Lang stands out well solo here;

[terrythecensor]

Awesome playing.

[GGiblet]

anyone mentioning the marijuana used by anyone at this time should recall it was legal, then

Bing Crosby, Eddie Lang's best friend and partner in song also smoked it

[bluzgy]

It's unfortunate that some small-minded people have to sully the names of great musicians in order to quantify their efforts. Yay for you thinking you possess the intellect to make such monumental delineations. The only thing larger than your intellect are your egos.

[fenderfish]

awesome, I never heard of this guitarist...very cool licks!

[gabri3l367]

Tutto questo è modernissimo pure oggi. Tutte le note sono chiare e il senso melodico è originalissimo. Oggi giorno , ben poche volte c'è logica come in questo esempio del grande Eddie Lang. E poi come coesistono bene chitarra e pianoforte insieme essendo due strumenti diffile da associare.

[thesk8rman765]

Lolz, 2 people have nno taste in mu...

No. Wait, no. I'm tired of reading comments like that. >:(

[TammyTurnip]

Both are great, but considering Django made do with only two fingers on his left hand, I'd say that makes it a net win for Django. But whatever :)

[999manman]

He played with strings the size of Transatlantic telephone cables...most guitarists today couldn't manage to pick and fret a clean note on Eddies guitar.

[999manman]

He played with strings the size of Transatlantic telephone cables...most guitarists today couldn't manage to pick and fret a clean note on Eddies guitar.

[bunkhabit]

For a very good biography of a guy that played with all of the jazz greats read "Really the Blues" by Milton Mezzrow. Mezzrow played clarinet and dealt marijuana - so it's a first hand, eyewitness, and drug dealer, account of what went on. And they were all there. Read it - it's great. In the back of the book there is a hilarious 500 word glossary of hip slang used in the hood. You'll find everything from "chick" to "groovy" in that glossary - very funny.

[charbyteU]

hearsay and allegations give us dirty laundry after the famous depart...give it a rest on his personal life his memory is to be respected yeah?

[bunkhabit]

Sorry, I forgot "auto" when recommending "Really the Blues" - it is Milton Mezzrow's autobiography - it is not Eddie Lang's biography. Lang is mentioned twice, once in connection with the Mound City Blue Blowers and again regarding his participation in two recordings: "Knockin' a Jug" and "Muggles" for Okeh in '29. I did not intend to imply that this great book hung up any of Lang's "dirty laundry."

[NouveauPasse]

It is completely ridiculous to compare Eddie and Django. Both were equally gifted guitarists with fabulous technique. The ONLY difference is Eddie came first and Django came slightly later.

I say let's just listen to the music, enjoy it and be grateful that these guys were around to make it - stoned or not!!!!

[MrSsanityclaws]

Sillie to compare Eddie with Django. Eddie was the pioneer, his musical language reflects an earlier period of jazz.

Django was a great innovator - he had the advantage of the Romani musical background as well and incorporated that into jazz in an entirely different way.

[61lash]

Eddie Lang is the father of jazz guitar.Django tried to emulate Lang,and in his solo's he certainly took it a step further.Lang was a much better accompanist than Django.Carl Kress and Dick McDonough were even better ,listen to their duets.

[scptty]

all the nuts are not in the woods....Spctty

[cmcroce]

I can't get over musicians who say thay play better when they are stoned. Let me clue you in: You only think you play better when you are stoned, and maybe you sound ok to your stoned friends. But in reality you sound like crap when you are stoned. Admit it. Your timing is off, you get distracted in the middle of a piece, you forget where you are in the piece. Good playing takes concentration and dedication. Stoned playing sucks. I have been around it a long time and I can tell the difference.

[vincenz55]

thanks for that clear concise explanation. the guys couple guys writing below sound like they are on crack theyre timing is way off and lack of brain thought is even worse

[claptonfan1000000]

@cmcroce There's alot of truth in that, but are you suggesting that Eddie was stoned when this was recorded?

[bopguity]

Louis Armstrong played stoned off his ass every time he played.

[Hoopermazing]

Pops loved his refer. There is no denying that.

[zalman595]

@cmcroce :Strongly disagree. Do you really think Charlie Parker only did smack when he wa off stage? My dad used to play with the big bands back in the thirties (also jammed with a lot of the legends). A lot of heavy pot-smoking was going on. Weed strongly enhances your aural sensitivity (while making you stupider). As a result a lot of lousy musicians think they sound good stoned. Many great musicians do not take an academic "Berklee" approach . Think more of a religious "in the zone."shaman

[Stirrethcharybdis]

Totally shaman

[Hoopermazing]

I'm no advocate of hard drugs, but just about every famous jazz musician since King Bolden invented jazz has played stoned at one point or another. Jazz cats, for reasons I can't fathom, have always had a particular predilection for the big H.

[msfingerstyle1]

@cmcroce You're ignorant

[samuelshepard]

@cmcroce django reinhardt got stoned all the time. as did most musicians back i the day. louis armstrong and bing crosby ect...

[sclogse1]

Being stoned...bet that reefer back then was kinda mild...Otherwise...a couple of years of smoking can take it's toll, lots of introspection, hanging out, memory goofups, and loss of edge. I smoked every day in Vietnam, and all that hanging out with people smoking for hours was really a waste of time...I should have been out exploring the culture and learning about the world over there.

[vivaldi123123]

The coments below are directed toward vincez 55

I find it fantastic that people are so passionate about the competition of who is the better guitarist. Long live the past. Lets look towards science and see if we can create a time machine. If that's not possible let's look towards science anyway. Just the facts.

[SteveinMASS]

hey vincez 55 you and your opinions suck

[alien8me]

they'd smash your guitar!!! and tell you stories about god told them to do it. then they'd illegalize pot and say the devil made you smoke it and you need some jesus in you. *sigh* only in America!

Bob bless america!

[petersuki]

This is Eddie. He's not even worked up a sweat here. It was bread and butter. His best stuff was an accompanist to some of the really great jazzmen. He put himself out and threw away incredibly brilliant lines. He worked right across the whole wide field at the time and you wonder whether Django was ever cut out to hack that.

[vincenz55]

Django should have stuck to his gypsy manouche music and french valses. he was the best at that style.

And jimi hendrix was nothing more than a pot smoking, devil worshipping satanist.

He cheated because the devil helped him play that occult music.

[rockindavid310]

quite frankly, jimi did not "worship satan" nor was it "occult" music. If you wan't satanist music, go listin to death metal. Thats stanist stuff, i know because i listen to it...and its great. Don't diss what you don't know.

Nor did the devil so called help him play. He did what every other damn guitarist does, practice.

[vincenz55]

if it wasnt the devil it shure was his huge stash of pot

[rockindavid310]

and if it was pot, you must be the devil.

[dryobb]

whow vincenz55 I hate to break it to ya, but eddie and django both smoked pot. who didn't back in those days? especially jazz musicians! how do ya think they got so good? lots of time, stoned and practicing guitar... lol. I think you outta try it... might do ya some good! oh and another think, The devil don't exist. neither does god. it's all a story told to keep you in fear of love and life. imagine if everyone was stoned and loving earth and each other, what would the arms industry do then??

[vincenz55]

here we go dont get me started on God jesus devil and pot. if theres no devil why would tony iommi and ozzy from black sabbath worship the devil and many others like marilyn manson charles manson, jimmy page anton levay and rock mentor witch satanist aleister crowley and many others worship demons? why are there secret cults who sacrifice demons to this day? Astrology ouiji board, fortune tellers, voodoo, shamans, wicca, trans meditation, sceances halloween are all part of devil worship

[vivaldi123123]

You must be quite young or naive. People need something to believe in. If you don't realize this please follow your beliefs. You seem to have a fine collection of mentors to take your examples from. Why would these mentors pretend to worship the devil? To make you buy their records. A bit of mystery always sells. And your buying!

[vivaldi123123]

I don't know about Eddie but to I don,t believe Django was a pot smoker. He was naturally high on life. It's not really a part of their culture. If you head over to France and play with some gypsys as many have, you might appreciate my points. As for practice I don't believe being stoned is a key. Refined thought is not achieved through being stoned, and this is required from a musician. Hey what the hell smoke your joint if you want!

[Morahman7vnNo2]

Eddies Twister.

[superzodiac500]

django's solos were definately more complex than eddie's, but i think it's because guitar players were barely beginning to experiment with solos during eddie's time. i mean dont get me wrong or anything, eddie is an outstanding soloist and he paved the way for almost everyone, but django came from a decade where guitar improv really became developed, so he had an advantage on eddie. but they both have great style and skill.

[Santysuperguitar]

It is incredible how this guys uses the melody in the songs. I think Django and Eddie were both awesome. But the question is: who was the first in using picks to play guitar?

[alrossi123]

What idiotic 'dueling' posts. Get a life.

[oldtimejazzfan]

I cannot understand the discussion as who was greater, Eddie or Django. It's like if you would compare Fangio and Schumacher or Coppi and Armstrong...

[misspaddylee]

I wouldn't want to be in a world without either.

[Squarerig]

Both,Django and Lang masters of the instrument.Both playing ostensibly different kinds of music but both giving it their utmost and that was really something.I enjoy both of them equally.Wonderful musicians.

[hoopjnky]

I've read that Nick Lucas was Eddie's inspiration.

One thing to consider is the height action they had back in these old guitars. I have no idea how they did it with all the pressure that was necessary.

[marm847]

This man was a true genius. He made everything possible. DOn't compare him with anyone. The others, would have never existed without Eddie.

[Morahman7vnNo2]

Without Eddie there might have not been the Django we know today, just like with Chet & Tommy Emanuel.

[jphoenix001]

I love Eddie Lang he was a great artist, the first jazz guitar hero. I have learned Picking my way which is a fantastic song to play.

But for me Django is really in another world, technically he was a monster, he was so fast, amazing ability and endless inspiration, just listen his first improvisation (with classical, gypsy, spanish influences), amazing arpeggios, octavados, sweeping in a 3 minutes song....

Unbelievable....

[thecoolerkeg]

There would be no Django without Eddie you dumbass so stfu.

[jphoenix001]

Why did your mother make love with all these truck drivers ?? You would not be there...

[thecoolerkeg]

LOLL you have to insult because you know you're wrong and can't deal with it. Eddie was the first, Django was a copy mixed with some gypsy touches so go lick his shaft!

[jphoenix001]

I have to insult cause you started to do it (dumbass, stfu). Actually, that's stupid to compare two guitarists. I prefer Django, you prefer Eddie, so everybody is happy that's it. But appararently you don't accept people who prefer Django. And you let me that comment with insult. You hate Django allright don't listen to his music, it's simple. Me i don't hate eddie, i said he was a genius, but i prefer Django (and i'm not alone).

[vincenz55]

you must be french

[vincenz55]

speed means nothing if doesnt have heart and emotion..who cares if one goes up and down the frets with sweeping whatevers..guitar jazz without any sense of musicality has no value..gypsy and spanish influence isnt american jazz its foreign..therefore django isnt a pure jazzist..

[vincenz55]

if you listen to lang and johnson duet of tiger rag it blows any guitarist including django and his band out to space..django was just a french selfcentred wannabe copy cat..read his biography how he wanted to be catered like a child when he came to america..he didnt get the attention he wanted so started sulking like a little kid.

[jphoenix001]

I think you are a Musical fascist...

Actually i don't care about what you said.

Some of us prefer Django some of us prefer Eddie and others Charlie or Wes, or Joe or whatever, that's life man.

You'are 43 now, you have to accept opinions of others people. Just go out of your Spiritual bubble, dude...

Yes, i'm french but Django was a gipsy, not the same...

And i like him cause his musical playing was beautiful, not for his nationality.

Music is subjective... Accept that.

[vincenz55]

if im a facist your a musical communist.

i know my age i dont need you or anyone to tell me that.

if  lang was french and django american would you still take django..be honest now?

[jphoenix001]

I have two guitar idols : Django and Jimi Hendrix. The are my guitar heroes... Honeslty I'm not preoccupated about nationality, for me Eddie was also a genius. You have more feeling with Eddie that's your choice and i respect that, so just do the same for django fans and please stop criticizing him. Eddie and Django are dead for a long time now so we just have to respect them and not rewrite a story than we haven't lived.

[ungelbertpendo]

ur 43 years old

[PollyX5]

What is a facist, someone without a face?

Django was Belgian by the way. And he liked Fascists nor Bolsheviks, nor Falangists, and he especially disliked Republicans. He did like himself though. But I thank you for your opinion and it is fact based, even if jphoenix01 doesn't care for what you think - and that he agrees with other opinions as long as they're his own.

[bulldog11881]

One of the original Shredders. Without Eddie there would be no Jimi, No EVH, No Yngwie...

[campocat]

I love Eddie, he played deliberate clear notes very precise and with a lot of feeling.

[ChavezRey]

Eddie Lang did some great jazz records with the bluesman Lonnie Johnson . Also worthy of mention in the unfortunately named jockstrap debate was Django's friend the Argentinian player in Josephine Baker's group, Oscar Aleman. Django and Grappelli credit Lang and Venuti as their inspiration. The world would be poorer without any one of them but I gotta give the overall nod to Django.

[odietarceo]

eddie lang had a gutair meathod? Is it still in print?!

[claptonfan1000000]

My opinion is that Eddie comps better than Django, but Django did better solowork.

[Corrie121]

Corrie 121

It's a pity that two such guitarists should be the subject of comparison. Truth is , they were both geniuses.

[RocknRollRodriguez]

music is as music does why nay say??

[minaees]

Django was by far the greater artist.

[daverules100]

i believe django was better. If you listen to some of Django's best solo's, eg.minor swing, la mer, djangology, he shows alot more technical skill than lang. And if you acount the fact django only had 2 fingers on his left hand i think django's talent is even more incredible. Although i strongly think Django was better, i also understand lang was a great guitarist, and that they really shouldnt be compared

[vincenz55]

if you say django is better then i say lang and his duet partner blows every guitarist duet that ever lived.. paco de lucia also blows django away..and so does dimeola..django was conceited and thought he was god...he had no modesty.

[lotuswight]

santana

[vincenz55]

not in the same league..why even mention his name..hes a bottom feeder

[claudiopaciornik]

beautiful

[peace0ff]

les paul was god.

[vincenz55]

les paul couldnt hold this guys jockstrap or any of the real good ones that came later. he wasnt natural he overdubbed his work and that to me it isnt talent its manufactured music

[peace0ff]

you're just upset because les was the god and everyone refers to him and his guitars.

[tiothetaz]

they dont know anything about true guitar music

[poolpig]

guitarists of all generations deserve a thumbs up even these people now adays withall the drop tunings etc and Kaki King slappin the hell out of that ovation its cool, although not my bag!

[poolpig]

geez if you like these guys have some class get some vocabulary skills its easy to curse and be nasty and believe me Im the king, but Im tryin Ringo!!!!!

[lotuswight]

why do you want les paul to hold this guys jockstrap?

[vincenz55]

its a figure of speech which everyone knows except you

[loris711]

I only knew him for his fabulous accompaniments to Bing Crosby. Thank you for the education.

[kspm01]

Impossible to say who of both - Eddie or Django - was the best - at such level of perfection this is rather an irrelevant question I guess.

[HarborGuy]

Great fingering and rhythm....and they were acoustic - truly the best of the era..........

[merrihew]

His one time musical partner, Joe Venuti said that he thought about Lang every day from Lang's death in 1933 to his death in 1978.

[barbcard]

You're right: they were both great guitarists. A lively yet poignant version. Alas, rainbows do end, or rather fade back into mist, but somewhere over the rainbow...you know the rest.