Eddie Durham
Edward Durham (August 19, 1906 – March 6, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist, 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, and Glenn Miller took great benefit from his composing and arranging skill.
Also recorded as Edward Durham
Eddie Durham
- Birth Name
- Edward Durham
- Born
- 19 August 1906
- Birthplace
- San Marcos, Texas, U.S.
- Died
- 6 March 1987
- Place of death
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- Musician, composer, arranger
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- jazz
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Edward Durham (August 19, 1906 – March 6, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist, 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, and Glenn Miller took great benefit from his composing and arranging skill.
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Eddie Durham (1906–1987) was an American composer, guitarist and music arranger, among other activities. Born in San Marcos, the composer died in New York City. Eddie Durham was active in jazz. Genres include jazz.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q727693 · wikipedia · Eddie Durham
In this article
Biography
Biography
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.
Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — Edward Durham • Born — 19 August 1906 • Birthplace — San Marcos, Texas, U.S. • Died — 6 March 1987 • Place of death — New York City, U.S. • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician, composer, arranger • Instrument — Guitar, trombone • Years Active — 1920s–1980s • Label — RCA • Associated Acts — Walter Page, Bennie Moten, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie
Early life
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
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 with Jimmie Lunceford in "Hittin' the Bottle" that was recorded in New York for Decca. 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.
As leader
As leader
• Eddie Durham (RCA, 1974) • Blue Bone (JSP, 1981)
As sideman
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)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1906
Eddie Durham born at San Marcos.
1987
Eddie Durham died at New York City.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
San Marcos.
Birth place
New York City.
Death place
Selected compositions and arrangements
• Bennie Moten: • "Moten Swing" (1932) (composer, arranger) • Jimmie Lunceford: • "Rhapsody Junior" (1935) with Edwin Wilcox • "Oh! Boy" (1935) • "Avalon" (1935) • "Hittin' the Bottle" (1935) • "Harlem Shout" (1936) • "Running 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) • Glenn Miller • "In The Mood" (RCA Bluebird, 1939) note: not composed by Durham, but the arrangement is his. • "Slip Horn Jive" (RCA Bluebird, 1939) • "Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam)" (RCA Bluebird, 1939)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Eagle, Bob. Blues - A Regional Experience. Praeger Publishers. 368. 2013. 978-0313344237.
- 2.Colin Larkin. The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music. Virgin Books. 115/6. 2002. 1-85227-937-0.
- 3.Daniels, Douglas Henry. One O'Clock Jump: The Unforgettable History of the Oklahoma City Blue Devils. Beacon Press. 193–197. 2006.
- 4.Zelade, Richard. Lone Star Travel Guide to Texas Hill Country. Taylor Trade Publishing. 260. 1987. 978-1-58979609-6.
- 5.Abrams, Steve. Decca (USA) 500 - 1000 Numerical Listing. The Online Discographical Project. September 5, 2015.
- 6.Robert Palmer. Deep Blues. Penguin Books. 197. 1981. 978-0-14-006223-6.
- 7.Vacher, Peter. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Grove's Dictionaries Inc. 1. 674. 2002. 1-56159-284-6.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
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Secondary witness
Further particulars
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Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Eddie Durham is recorded as guitarist, composer, music arranger, musician and trombonist.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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