10th Annual Eddie Lang Day in Philadelphia 10/27

Richard Barnes returns with his 12 pc 1920s-30s jazz band the Blackbird Society Orchestra to celebrate the 10th Annual Eddie Lang Day Philadelphia. The Tri State Jazz Society will co sponsor the event at Wallingford CAC on Sunday, October 27th from 2pm-5pm. Eddie Lang ( born Salvatore Massaro 1902-33) was known as "the Father of Jazz Guitar" due to his giving prominence to the guitar in the early 1920s and until his tragic and untimely death in 1933. The son of an Italian instrument maker, Lang got his start on violin and met a young Giuseppe (Joe) Venuti while attending grade school together in South Philadelphia.By 1920 Lang switched to banjo while playing as part of the Mound City Blue Blowers with Red McKenzie. Soon after he would switch to guitar. He performed and recorded as a solo artist, duets with Venuti and later Lonnie Johnson, as well as with Roger Wolfe Kahn, Jean Goldkette, Bix, Tram, Duke , Ruth Etting, Annette Hanshaw, and Paul Whiteman's Orchestra in 1929 when he met and became close friends with a young Bing Crosby, becoming his contracted accompanist on all recordings. As house musician for Okeh records his guitar playing can be heard on hundreds of recordings and he influenced Django, Charlie Christian, Les Paul and others that would follow after him. Inspired by seeing photos and videos of the yearly Bix Beiderbecke Festivals, Barnes set out to fi