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Everyday Blues

Bennie Moten's
Kansas City Orchestra

Bennie Moten, Booker Washington, Buster Moten, Count Basie , Ed Lewis, Eddie Durham , Harlan Leonard, Jack Washington , Leroy Berry , Thamon Hayes, Vernon Page , Willie McWashington , Woody Walder

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Recorded in Chicago on October 23rd 1929 featuring Bennie Moten director, Ed Lewis and Booker Washington trumpets, Thamon Hayes trombone, Eddie Durham trombone, guitar, & arranger, Harlan Leonard clarinet, alto, & soprano sax, Jack Washington clarinet, alto, & baritone, Woody Walder clarinet & tenor, Count Basie piano, Ira 'Buster' Moten piano-accordion, Leroy Berry banjo, Vernon Page bass brass, and Willie McWashington drums.

*"Everyday Blues" (aka "Yo Yo Blues") was composed by Bennie Moten and Eddie Durham.

Co-composer and arranger Eddie Durham takes a memorable guitar solo (15 bars + 6 bar break). I believe this Durham composition is a small masterpiece, an interesting multi-thematic piece that changes keys several times and uses a variety of different orchestral voicings. The way ED frames his 6 bar break with (again) 9ths is very forward looking. -Daniel Weinstein

Born in San Marcos, Texas in 1906 Eduard "Eddie" Durham became a multi-instrumentalist who got his start touring with his six siblings in "The Durham Brothers" family band.

Equally skilled on both the guitar and trombone he would settle for a time in Kansas City where he performed with territory bands including "Walter Page's Blue Devils" and "Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra" between 1929 and 1933.

Durham is also remembered for his immense musical contribution as a composer and arranger of the swing era for his work with bands led by Cab Calloway, Andy Kirk, Glenn Miller, Jimmie Lunceford and Count Basie.

Eddie Durham is even credited for recording the world's first electric jazz guitar solo with a Gibson ES-150 in September of 1938 on tenor saxophonist Lester Young's "Kansas City Six" sessions.