Eddie South

Eddie South (Louisiana, Missouri, November 27, 1904 - April 25, 1962) was an American jazz violinist. He was a classical violin prodigy who switched to jazz because of limited opportunities for African-American musicians, and started his career playing in vaudeville and jazz orchestras with Freddie Keppard, Jimmy Wade, Charles Elgar, and Erskine Tate in Chicago. He was influenced by Hungarian folk music and Roma music starting with a visit to Europe in the 1920s, and adapted the music to jazz. In 1927 he started his own group, Eddie South and his Alabamians, named after the Alabam club where they played in Chicago, and toured with them in Europe from 1928 to 1930. On subsequent visits to Europe in the 1930s, he performed and recorded with guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinists Stéphane Grappelli and Michel Warlop. He also led bands that included pianist Billy Taylor and bassist Milt Hinton.

ources

* cite web
first=Dave
last=Radlauer
url=http://www.jazzhot.bigstep.com/generic28.html
title=Jazz Rhythm: Eddie South
accessdate=2006-05-14 — Public radio broadcast with audio samples and commentary.
* cite web
url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/alabamians.html
title=Red Hot Jazz Archive: Eddie South and his Alabamians
accessdate=2006-05-14 — Discography.
* cite web
url=http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1303/Eddie_South_violinist_of_jazz
title= African-American Registry: Eddie South, violinist of jazz!
accessdate=2006-05-14 — Brief biography.

References

* cite book
first=Anthony
last=Barnett
title=Black Gypsy: The Recordings of Eddie South: An Annotated Discography
publisher=AB Fable
location=Lewes, East Sussex
id=ISBN 0-907954-26-X
year=1999