Edward Durham (August 19, 1906 – March 6, 1987)^[1] was an American jazz guitarist,^[2] trombonist, composer, and arranger. He was one of the pioneers of the electric guitar in jazz. The orchestras of Bennie Moten, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie,^[2] and Glenn Miller took great benefit from his composing and arranging skill.

With Edgar Battle he composed "Topsy", which was recorded by Count Basie and became a hit for Benny Goodman.^[2]

In 1938, Durham wrote "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" with Bennie Benjamin, Sol Marcus, and Eddie Seiler. During the 1940s, Durham created Eddie Durham's All-Star Girl Orchestra, an African-American all female swing band that toured the United States and Canada.^[3]

Early life

Durham was born in San Marcos, Texas, on August 19, 1906, to Joseph Durham Sr. and Luella Rabb (née Mohawk) Durham. From an early age, Durham performed with his family in the Durham Brothers Band. At the age of eighteen, he began traveling and playing in regional bands.

Pioneer on the electric guitar

From 1929, Durham started experimenting to enhance the sound of his guitar using resonators and megaphones. In 1935, he was the first to record an electrically amplified guitar^[4] with Jimmie Lunceford in "Hittin' the Bottle" that was recorded in New York for Decca.^[5] In 1938, Durham recorded single string electric guitar solos with the Kansas City Five (or Six), which were both smallish groups that included members of Count Basie's rhythm section along with the tenor saxophone playing of Lester Young.^[6]

Discography

As leader

• Eddie Durham (RCA, 1974)
• Blue Bone (JSP, 1981)

As sideman

• Bennie Moten, Band Box Shuffle (Hep 1929–32)
• Jimmie Lunceford, The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Vol. 3, 4, 5 (Decca, 1935–39)
• Count Basie, The Complete Decca Recordings (3CD) (Decca 1937–41)
• Lester Young, Lester Young with the Kansas City Five (Commodore, 1938)
• Glenn Miller, The Complete Glenn Miller (RCA Bluebird 1938–42)

Selected compositions and arrangements

• Bennie Moten:
  • "Moten Swing" (1932) (c, a)
• Jimmie Lunceford:
  • "Rhapsody junior" (1935) with Edwin Wilcox
  • "Oh! Boy" (1935)
  • "Avalon" (1935)
  • "Hittin' the Bottle" (1935)
  • "Harlem Shout" (1936)
  • "Runnig A Temperature" (1936)
  • "Honey Keep Your Mind On Me" (1936)
  • "Count Me Out" (1936)
  • "Pigeon Walk" (1937)
  • "Wham (Re.Bop.Boom-Bam)" (1939)
  • "Lunceford Special" (1939)
  • "Blues In The Groove" (1939)
  • "It's Time To Jump And Shout" (1939)
• Count Basie:
  • "Time Out" (Decca, 1937)
  • "Topsy" (Decca, 1937)
  • "Swinging the Blues" (Decca, 1938)
  • "Jumpin' at the Woodside" (Decca, 1938)^[7]
• Glenn Miller
  • "In The Mood" (RCA Bluebird 1939)
  • "Slip Horn Jive" (RCA Bluebird 1939)
  • "Wham (Re.Bop.Boom-Bam)" (RCA Bluebird 1939)