[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Fw: Keep (it) Swinging

Sat Oct 24 07:04:35 PDT 2015

This may be of interest to some of you, even if the English isn't too good.
Cheers

To: marekboym at gmail.com

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שולח: *Keep (it) Swinging, *
נושא: *Keep (it) Swinging*
Keep (it) Swinging <http://keepitswinging.blogspot.com/>
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Violinist Eddie South (1904 – 1962) - A Striking Musician, Part One
<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KeepitSwinging/~3/2-JecTb-KUo/violinist-eddie-south-1904-1962.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email>

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:41 AM PDT
*Georg Lankester* writes a survey of the career of violinist *Eddie South*.
Below follows the first part of the article, the second part will be
published later.

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aW8FeTJv2Ww/Vin1ByQtT-I/AAAAAAAADsQ/Ar7oViD4ftY/s1600/Eddie_South_violinist.jpg>Eddie
South (1904-1962)
In my stories on jazz musicians who played with guitarist *Django Reinhardt*,
this time the  focus on the great American violinist, composer and
arranger *Eddie
South*.

We have to go back to the USA where Edward was born in Louisiana on 24
November 1904.Growing up he proved to be highly talented, since he was able
to play the violin rather well at an early stage.

Like many others from the South, his parents went to Chicago when he was
still young. And the prodigy (that’s what he was) was soon registered at
the Chicago Music College in order to follow a classical music study.
Unfortunately he had to finish it after one year, because of his skin
color. There was no place for a black person, independent how well you
could play. Realizing this Eddie switched to the jazz scene which was fully
under development then.

*A New Direction*

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wgC4aBfNj0g/Vin2wTWkdiI/AAAAAAAADsc/O1_bUqYf-no/s1600/Darnell_Howard.jpg>Darnell
Howard
He meets clarinetist *Darnell Howard *who teaches him the principles of
jazz playing and also *Charles Elgar*. With both musicians he starts to
perform.

He then gets work by joining the well-known orchestra of *Erskine Tate*, as
well as the band of *Mac Brady*. Somewhat later he becomes the leader of
the *Syncopators *with trumpet player *Jimmy Wade*. He joins this orchestra
which plays in the popular *Moulin Rouge Café* from 1923-1927. It is with
this band that he made his very first recordings for the Paramount label
(in 1923).

Based on his experiences and full of enthusiasm he now forms a small group
without brass players, not very common then, and he calls them *The
Alabamians. *The line-up is violin, piano, clarinet, guitar and drums.

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XShDJTVaa4A/Vin4V5YxzeI/AAAAAAAADso/RpufM6wxs9w/s1600/alabamians2.jpg>Eddie
South and his Alabamians
The next year he also works with Erskine Tateand joins the quartet of
guitarist *Mike Mckendrick *as well.
<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/---DEM2s7sUQ/Vin5X1FW88I/AAAAAAAADs0/PxjVR3MAy3o/s1600/Mike%2BMcKendrick.jpg>Mike
McKendrick
After some recordings for Victor with his own formation Eddie leaves for
Europe where he will stay from 1928 till 1931. Like many other Americans he
makes a tour through the UK and visits France frequently where Paris is
becoming the city of the European Jazz (due to the Hot Club de France
initiatives).

South, however, always keeps his interest in classical music and during his
European stay he registers at the Conservatory of Paris to practice violin.
His teacher there is *Firmin Touche*. But he also frequently visits Russian
cabarets where famous Roma musicians play such as *Jean Goulesco*. Eddie is
highly fascinated by gypsy Music.

In the autumn of 1929 he travels to Hungary to follow a study at the Music
Academy of Budapest, one of the leading colleges for violin. One of his
teachers is *Prof. Hubay* – a friend of Franz Liszt – who is also strongly
influenced by Hungarian gypsies.

In the Roma composition *Two Guitars* which Eddie recorded in Paris (1929)
for HMV one can hear him switching to the gypsy style, sometimes showing
blues influences as well.

*Meeting Django in the South of France*

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PyoF2QOTQkU/Vin6ulstznI/AAAAAAAADtA/ZjKFb0_Q5yM/s1600/young%2BDjango2.jpg>A
young Django Reinhardt
In the spring of 1931 Eddie can be found in the French ‘Riviera’ where he
performs in Cannes in the popular *Bianco’s Night Club*.  And it is there
that he meets *Django Reinhardt *who travels around with his wife Naguine
in order to earn some money. This contact was organized through the
intermediary of bass player and band leader *Louis Vola*.

Somewhat earlier the guitarist and his brother Joseph had, for the first
time in their life, heard American jazz records after they had met
painter *Emile
Savitry*. Both brothers were excited when they listened to *Louis
Armstrong, Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang*.

Django was quite impressed by Eddie South’s violin playing which included
both blues and gypsy elements. Maybe this experience was the basis for the
long association between guitar and violin shown in the Hot Club Music in
the years to come.

In Cannes they were performing several times together. But also Eddie was
surprised to discover Django’s feeling for improvisation and his fabulous
rhythm, so they enjoyed playing together.

After a few months *Eddie South* went back to the States and restarted his
performances in Chicago with his Alabamians. Those years he also
accompanied various American singers. But in 1937 he travelled again to his
beloved France. Paris was full of musical events and had become a real
European center for jazz, stimulated by the World Exhibition which was
visited by 34 millions of people. Eddie was there officially invited
by the *Hot
Club de France* and….soon he would meet Django again.

*Georg Lankester*
---
*Jo*
*keepitswinging.domain at gmail.com <keepitswinging.domain at gmail.com>*

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