Texas State hosts Eddie Durham Jazz Legacy Night

SAN MARCOS – The smooth sounds of musical innovation reign supreme Feb. 6 as Texas State University-San Marcos hosts Eddie Durham Jazz Legacy Night starting at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium.

Legendary jazz great Eddie Durham was born and raised in San Marcos, rising to fame performing, composing and/or arranging such jazz hits as “Swinging the Blues,” “One O’Clock Jump,” “Topsy” and “In the Mood” for Bennie Moten, Count Basie, Glen Miller and other great band leaders. A master of the guitar and trombone, Durham owns the distinction of being the first artist to perform with the electric guitar.

The Texas State Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Freddy Mendoza, and the Texas State Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Keith Winking, will perform big band compositions of Durham throughout the evening, featuring special guest Marsha Durham, daughter of Eddie Durham and executrix of Eddie Durham Publishing. Other guests include Loren Schoenberg, executive director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem; Stanley Crouch, co-founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center; and Dave Oliphant, author of Texas Jazz, The Early Swing Era and The Roots of Texas Music.

Jazz Legacy Night is free and open to the public. Parking is available at the Pleasant Street Parking Garage, located on campus at North LBJ Drive and Sessoms. For more information, call (512) 245-2651.