chewed up

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Giuseppe (Joe) Venuti (Sept.16,1903 - Aug.14,1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Venuti claimed to have been born aboard a ship as his parents emigrated from Italy, though many believe he was simply born in Philadelphia. Later in life he said that he was born in Italy in 1896 and that he came to the U.S. in 1906. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a childhood friend of his. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Venuti made many recordings, as leader and as featured soloist. He worked with Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden, the Boswell Sisters and most of the other important white jazz and semi-jazz figures of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Venuti and Lang recorded a series of milestone jazz records for the OKeh label during the 1920s. However, following Lang's early death in 1933, his career began to wane, though he continued performing through the 1930s. He was also a strong early influence on western swing players like Jesse Ashlock, not to mention the fact that Lang and Venuti were the primary influences of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. After a period of relative obscurity in the 1940s and 1950s, he was 'rediscovered' in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, he established a musical relationship with tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims that resulted in three recordings. He also recorded an entire album with country-jazz musicians including mandolinist Jethro Burns (of Homer & Jethro), pedal steel guitarist Curly Chalker and former Bob Wills sideman and guitarist Eldon Shamblin. Venuti died in Seattle, Washington. (Bing Crosby's home town) (Crosby refers to Joe in his book "Call Me Lucky"). Venuti was also a legendary practical joker (see Crosby's book). According to one source, every Christmas he sent Wingy Manone, a one-armed trumpet player, the same gift--one cufflink. He is said to have chewed up a violin he borrowed from bandleader Paul Whiteman, when still on stage after his own performance with Whiteman's band had finished. ----- Eddie Lang (Oct.25,1902 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - March 26,1933 New York) played a pivotal role in the development of modern popular song. Considered the first guitar virtuoso he introduced the now common instrument to a wider audience and forever changed the way that people listened to music. Sadly, however, his career was cut short at an early age, and his legacy came to be overshadowed by those who succeeded him and benefited from his trailblazing work. Born Salvatore Massaro, Lang was the son of an immigrant Italian craftsman of fretted instruments. He studied violin as a youth but later switched to guitar, turning professional in 1918, at age 16. In 1924 he left Philadelphia and headed to New York, where he soon joined the Mound City Blue Blowers. He made his first recording with them that same year. A very talented musician, Lang was quickly in demand as both an accompanist and a soloist. It was the beginning of the electric era, and he was in the perfect position to exploit its potential. Lang's success was not all due to timing, however. He was also very versatile, easily able to tackle such genres as jazz, blues, and classical. Over the course of his career Lang performed with such diverse artists as Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Benny Goodman, Bessie Smith, Jack Teagarden, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Smith Ballew, Fred Rich, Noel Taylor, Red Nichols, Frankie Trumbauer, Jean Goldkette, Paul Whiteman, Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards, King Oliver, Hoagy Carmichael, Don Vorhees, Adrian Rollini, and J.C. Johnson. While working with Whiteman, Lang formed a strong friendship with singer Bing Crosby. When Crosby later went solo, he chose Lang as his permanent accompanist. Under the pseudonym of Blind Willie Dunn, Lang also occasionally teamed up with blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson. From 1926 he served as house guitarist at Oke...