Eddie Durham, a trombonist and arranger, performed with Walter Page’s Blue Devils, Bennie Moten and Jimmie Lunceford. He was also a convincing guitarist and one of the first people to adopt an electric guitar (which was invented in 1931 after instruments with a resonator were used). In 1929, he experimented with protoamplifiers, such as in the solo of Band Box Shuffle, which he performed with Bennie Moten’s Kansas City Orchestra in October 1929. He also recorded one of the first amplified tracks for guitar in 1935, on Jimmie Lunceford’s cover song of Hittin’ The Bottle. From 1936 to 1938 Durham arranged and composed many pieces that were performed by Count Basie’s orchestras and groups: John’s Idea (July 37), Time Out (August 37), Topsy(August 1937), Out The Window, October 1937), Sent for You Yesterday (February 1938), Swinging The Blues [february 1938], Every Tub (February 38). Durham was instrumental in the formation of the International Sweethearts Of Rhythm jazzband, which was all female. He was also leading his own band, which featured some Kansas City swing legends like Buster Smith and Hot Lips Page. Durham continued his work as an arranger throughout the 1960s and continued to play guitar and tour until the 1980s. From discogs. He plays a solo trombone in The last of Blue Devils (1980), directed by Bruce Ricker.
