DUANE
Duane's take
The marker tells it this way, and I'm just the one drivin' you to it. Now, Texas has put more than its share of names into the jazz record books, and the state's influence on that music — especially through the lives of individual artists — is well documented. But there's one name out of San Marcos, Hays County, that deserves a long, slow look.
That name is Eddie Durham. Eddie Durham came into this world on August 19, 1906. His father was Joseph Durham, Sr., a well-known fiddle player, and his mother was Luella Rabb Durham, also known as Mohawk.
Now, when your daddy is a fiddle player worth knowing, music doesn't wait for you to grow up — it just finds you early. From an early age, Eddie's talents were already apparent, and he was out there performing with his family in the Durham Brothers Band. At eighteen, Eddie started traveling.
He played in regional bands, picking up experience the way a rolling stone picks up a story — one rough surface at a time. He ran with the 101 Ranch Brass Band. He played with Edgar Battle's Dixie Ramblers.
He worked with Gene Coy's Happy Black Aces. Each one of those outfits added something to what Eddie Durham was becoming. And what he was becoming was good enough that the Blue Devils out of Oklahoma came calling.
Then came 1929. Eddie Durham recorded with Bennie Moten — recognized Kansas City band leader and pianist — playing trombone and guitar. And right around that same time, he recorded a guitar solo on New Vine Street Blues that did something nobody had quite done before.
It alternated single-string style, a new method that Durham himself popularized. You want to talk about a seed getting planted in American music — there it is. Eddie became central to the Kansas City style of swing that was developing through the 1930s.
Working alongside Moten, Durham helped create the iconic big band style that the world still knows today. That is not a small thing to say. That is not a casual sentence.
That is the kind of sentence you sit with. He later joined Jimmie Lunceford's band, the Lunceford Express, and in 1935 — while playing a track called Hittin' the Bottle — Eddie Durham recorded the first amplified guitar. First.
The first time that particular sound ever committed itself to a recording. Every guitarist who came after him and plugged in owes something to that moment, whether they know it or not. And still, the man wasn't just a player.
Eddie Durham was a music arranger — a successful one — for Lunceford, the Kansas City Five, and Count Basie. One of his best-known arrangements is In the Mood, which he arranged for Glen Miller's Big Band. You've heard that song.
Everybody has heard that song. Eddie Durham was born in San Marcos, Texas, son of a fiddle player, and he grew up to help shape the sound of a century. The marker's right there if you want to stop.
The music, well — that never really stopped at all.
What the marker says
The Texas influence on jazz history, especially through the careers of individual artists, is well documented. The efforts and influences of African American jazz musician Eddie Durham can be seen in many aspects of jazz music and musicians today. Eddie Durham was born in San Marcos on August 19, 1906 to Joseph Durham, Sr., a well-known fiddle player, and Luella Rabb (Mohawk) Durham. From an early age, Eddie's talents were apparent as he performed with his family in the Durham Brothers Band. At the age of eighteen, Eddie began traveling and playing in regional bands. His experiences with the "101 Ranch Brass Band", Edgar Battle's "Dixie Ramblers" and Gene Coy's "Happy Black Aces" all led to his being picked up by "The Blue Devils" out of Oklahoma. In 1929, Eddie recorded with recognized Kansas City band leader and pianist Bennie Moten, playing trombone and guitar. Around this time, he recorded a guitar solo on new Vine Street Blues that alternated single-string style, a new method popularized by Durham. Eddie became central to the Kansas City style of swing that was developing in the 1930s. Working with Moten, Durham helped create the iconic big band style that is known today. He later joined Jimmie Lunceford's band, "Lunceford Express," and recorded the first amplified guitar in 1935 while playing hittin" the bottle. The impact of this innovation can be seen through many jazz musicians that followed Durham. Eddie's talent extended beyond playing as he was a successful music arranger for Lunceford, Kansas City Five and Count Basie. One of his best-known arrangements is In the Mood for Glen Miller's Big Band. Eddie Durham's musical talents created a lasting impact on jazz through his music and influence on many great jazz musicians.