Biography
Eddie Duran maintained a longstanding association with the San Francisco jazz community, supporting numerous area and touring luminaries through his flavorful bop phrasing and classically informed approach to lead and rhythm guitar. Piano studies began at age seven, yet he shifted focus to guitar upon turning 12 and largely self-taught after roughly seven months of formal instruction. Professional work commenced at 15; by the mid-1940s he had accompanied visiting figures that included Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, George Shearing, Red Norvo, and Earl Hines. His most prominent contributions, however, appeared on Fantasy sessions featuring Bay Area artists, notably childhood friend Vince Guaraldi, whose 1956 trio dates featured Duran, as did a 1958 Cal Tjader/Getz sextet and a Latin-inflected quintet and sextet recorded in 1963–1964. Between 1960 and 1967 he directed his own trio, joined Benny Goodman’s orchestras for the 1976–1981 period, and participated in Tania Maria recordings from 1980 to 1982. In the late 1980s he relocated to New York City, where he formed a quartet. Duran also held a barber’s license during an earlier period.
Albums
