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Eddie Lang has a wonderful output of music, but most of it is in duo or small group form. As far as I can find, there are really only 3 pieces where the whole arrangement is playable on guitar:
April Kisses (which I have learned)
A Little Love, a Little Kiss
Prelude in C#m
There are a few that might be possible with some work, such as Pickin' My Way (w. Kress)and Stringing the Blues (w. Venuti). On Stringing, you could probably play Lang's rhythm part and it would sound cool. On Pickin', you'd need to be creative to get some of Kress's chordal sounds under Lang's melody part.
Does anyone play solo arrangements of Eddie Lang pieces, or have other ideas for what might work? Unless you know a crack jazz violinist to send my way...
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09-16-2013 09:02 AM
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I'm not sure I understand the question. You can play any tune as a solo arrangement. Or, are you looking for things that you can transcribe that will sound good if you just play them without the other violin part?
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Roger,
I've heard Swedish guitarist Lasse Johansson play Feeling My Way and Wildcat Blues as solo pieces. It's been years since I've heard Lang and Venuti play Wildcat so I'm not certain if it's the same tune; he gives credit to Fats Waller. A search on YouTube for Johansson should give you some clips of him playing some early jazz tunes solo.
Regards,
Jerome
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Thanks Jerome for the tip, which I will try to investigate ASAP!
ecj, I know that theoretically any tune can be played solo with enough arranging effort. But I'm not looking to drastically rearrange Eddie Lang's performances. Many of those tunes are played with rapid four to the bar rhythm in his wonderful, signature style, which I want to duplicate to the greatest extent possible. So I'm looking for pieces that might let me get there without just sounding like I'm playing a bunch of chords.
As noted, April Kisses is a perfect example of what I want to do. It stands alone as a solo piece.
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Eddie's version of "Helena" (written by Carl Kress) is a great stand-alone solo with a really neat Latin rhythm. It is in a CRAZY tuning, though. Check this chart:
http://leyoy.free.fr/Helena/Helena.pdf
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Eddie Lang never recorded this tune. Kress did.
Originally Posted by Tele295
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Then the recording I have (Picking my Way-Best of Eddie Lang) is mis-attributed. Cool tune nonetheless
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If the recording you have is the one that Amazon sells as a download with the Blues Masters banner, then it is mis-attributed along with several other cuts. Originally Posted by Tele295
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That's the one, but I got it through iTunes. What are the other mis-attributed cuts?
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Eddie recorded Helena on one of the more recent compilation CDs - available through ITunes/Amazon. The song was written (and performed) by Kress but Lang's version is alive and well.
Mel Bay's book (the plectrum guitar songbook) has a version of it, which comes pretty close to Eddie's version.
If some of the recording is difficult to make out have a listen to Bucky P's version on his April Kisses CD. It's tasty and a little less involved in parts than Lang's.
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Here you go,Tele295,
8. Helena-Carl Kress
13. Chicken ala Swing-Dick McDonough & Carl Kress
17. Love Song-Carl Kress
19. Danzon-Dick McDonough & Carl Kress
21. Heat Wave-McDonough & Kress
35. Afterthoughts 1-Kress
41. Peg Leg Shuffle-Kress
46. Stagefright-McDonough & Kress
53. Afterthoughts 2 & 3-Kress
57. Sutton Mutton-Kress
Regards,
Jerome
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That's a cheap poorly documented collection of tunes that someone slapped together to make some easy money. Lang never recorded Helena. Kress composed the song in 1939, six years after Lang's death. Originally Posted by teleman3726
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Carl Kress was originally a tenor banjo player. The tenor is tuned in fifths. Originally Posted by Tele295
As far as I can tell this tuning came from the following steps:
1) Tune the guitar in fifths starting on Bb: Bb F C G D A
2) Tune the A string one octave down (re-entrant). Up to this step it seems to be Kress's doing.
3) Switch the top two strings to keep the strings in pitch order: Bb F C G A D. This last step might be Mr. Rascle's (the transcriber's) doing.
ocd
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I remember reading that Kress tuned his guitar Bb. F. C. G. D. A. and that in his later years he opted for Bb. F. D. G. A. D. Also that at some point he may have used Bb. F. C. G. B. D. (the way that Marty Grosz tunes his guitar).
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There is very interesting thesis about Eddie Lang guitar style
An examination of Eddie Lang's technique and textural treatment in three selected solo guitar performances
by Saladino, Frank, D.M.A., FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE, 2013, 139 pages
Tunes notated in standard notation and there is a lot chord diagrams in his chordal technique analaysis. Grat work.
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Originally Posted by monk
How do you know Lang didn't record Helena?
Can you suggest some better recordings than the "slapped together" one? I have the "Quintessential" collection as well as the box set of NYC recordings with Venuti and the blues guy (can't remember his name at the moment).
Thanks
Chris
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Hi Chris,
Please read the last sentence of my first reply that you quoted in your post. That will explain how I know that Lang didn't record Helena.
In my opinion, the best Lang collection for both sound and documentation is the Mosaic box set. The nest is probably the JSP box set. I haven't heard or seen the Quintessential set that you mention so I can't comment on that.
Lang's only known solo recordings are April Kisses, A Little Love A Little Kiss and the Rachmaninoff Prelude.
Regards,
Jerome
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Originally Posted by monk
Jerome
Got it. I read too quickly sometimes.
I wonder how many other tunes on that disc are not Eddie?
Here's a link to the Quintessential CD: http://www.amazon.com/Quintessential...rds=eddie+lang
It's OK.....
Which one is the Mosaic? JSP?
The other disc that I think is a little amusing (although it's pretty good) is the 70's (I think) recordings of Joe Venuti an Tony Montoya - who plays Lang's L5, that was apparently given to him.
I'm a huge fan of Eddie Lang, so feel free to send/post any more information/charts/CD's you think are worthwhile
Thanks
Chri
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Chris, Originally Posted by teleman3726
Please refer to Post#11.
The Mosaic Limited Edition 8 CD box set #213 Classic Columbia and Okeh Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang Sessions is listed as Out of Print on their website.
The 4 CD JSP box set is discussed here:
The New York Sessions 1926-1935 - Eddie Lang | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic
I also have the Venuti-Montoya disc which I bought primarily to hear a modern recording of Lang's L5.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.
Regards,
Jerome
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There are a bunch of Eddy Lang tunes (performances) here
red hot bands archive
Eddie Lang
Great site for music from those days.
interesting discussion along here thanks.
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same site eddie lang joe venuti
Ed Lang and his Orchestra
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You're not kidding! I wonder if that was written for harp guitar?
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Windows Media Player won't play those files. What player will work?
Originally Posted by markf
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windows media player used to work, I don't know what they changed;
the other day I downloaded and converted them to mp3 to play them.
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