By Donald Van Deusen
Philadelphia's role in jazz history is the untold Philadelphia Story. It
almost as significant as its unquestioned position in creating American
history. Inexplicably, however, this town's contribution to jazz, America's
greatest cultural treasure, remains a largely untold story. New Orleans,
Kansas City, Chicago and New York proudly tout their major roles in American
jazz. Philadelphia shamefully ignores its very real contributions. We
intend to correct that oversight during the next several weeks.
Local Philadelphia media tend to ignore or downplay the story of
Philadelphia jazz except when some major TV production such as the Ken Burns
show creates a news peg. Then they generally only trace it back to jazz
great John Coltrane, the tenor sax legend from North Carolina, who studied
and worked here in his early years.
Philadelphia jazz history, however, goes back to the very early years of
the jazz age, the roaring 20s, with two South Philadelphia boyhood friends,
both born of Italian parents in Philadelphia in1904. They were Eddie Lang,
the world's first internationally known jazz guitarist and Joe Venuti, the
world's first renowned jazz violinist. They worked together in high school
and later on records with their own groups such as Venuti's Blue Four. These
sides are now considered classics by jazz historians. Leonard Feather in The
Encyclopedia of Jazz wrote, They achieved a unique style, a tonal finesse and
jazz-chamber music quality hitherto unknown in jazz.
Lang (born Salvatore Massaro) worked with early jazz stars such as the
legendary young man with a horn, Bix Beiderbecke; Red Nichols, the famous
Dorsey Brothers and the incomparable Mound City Blue Blowers. It is Lang's
great guitar work you hear on Bix's most memorable recording, Singing The
Blues.
Both Lang and Venuti were scooped up by Paul Whiteman who hired many of
the top jazzmen of the period. Lang worked in the 1920s under the name,
Blind Willie Dunn, with the renowned blues singer-guitarist, Lonnie Johnson,
who was African American. Johnson said, Lang could play guitar better than
anyone I knew; the sides I made with him were my greatest experience. Lang
probably chose the name Blind Willie Dunn because few in those days thought a
white man could play the blues.
Bing Crosby, one of the very few white pop singers who sang great jazz in
his early years, loved Lang's playing and brought him to Hollywood to work in
films. Lang's incomparable guitar work was hailed by many including the
famous gypsy guitar star, Django Reinhardt.
Both Lang and Venuti were scooped up by Paul Whiteman who hired many of
the top jazz people of the age. Lang died young in 1933 from a tonsillectomy.
The classically trained Venuti worked as a sideman for nearly everyone as
well as fronting his own band for many years. He hired a young singer named
Kay Starr early in her career and recorded with her. Venuti was a stunningly
beautiful violinist.
Lang and Venuti from South Philly did not just participate in jazz
history, they created it!
