Mad & Eddie Duran
Guitarist Eddie Duran was born in 1925 in San Francisco, into a musical family of Mexican heritage. Django Reinhardt was Eddie’s first inspiration, followed by Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney and Tal Farlow, who like Eddie, were known for their bright swinging melodicism.
He was a professional at the age of 15, and in the heyday of the San Francisco bebop scene, he played and recorded with such Fantasy stars as Vince Guaraldi, Red Norvo, and Cal Tjader, as well as with Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, George Shearing, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Benny Goodman, Pearl Bailey and Barbara Streisand.
In the 1980s Eddie recorded three albums as a leader for Concord Jazz Records, two of them nominated for Grammy Awards.
http://www.madneddieduran.com/
Tenor saxophonist and flautist Madaline Duran grew up in Belmont, south of San Francisco, and began playing clarinet when she was ten, and too up the saxophone in junior high. She earned her degree in classical music at the University of Miami, but throughout she also played in the college big band and jazz ensembles.
Meeting Eddie Duran at the Cotati Jazz Festival provided the catalyst to choose music as a career. They quickly established a personal and professional partnership, with Mad sitting in at Eddie’s San Francisco area gigs, playing sax and flute, and through his tutoring and encouragement, later becoming a full musical partner with Eddie.
Herb Caen wrote in his San Francisco Chronicle column, “Mad Duran is just what jazz needs – soul, swing and a breath of femininity.”
Bassist Dean Reilly is a highly respected veteran of the San Francisco scene.
He has performed with
Vince Guaraldi, Cal Tjader, Earl Hines, Clark Terry, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Teddy Wilson, Benny Carter,
Bill Evans, George Shearing, Coleman Hawkins, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Thelonious Monk,
Carmen McRae, Anita O'Day, Peggy Lee, Weslia Whitfield, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney,
Bing Crosby, Joe Williams, Mel Torme and Frank Sinatra.
He was also for many years part of a fine trio with Eddie Duran and Benny Barth.
Originally from Peru, Raul Ramirez started playing the drums at the age of 5, and worked extensively doing studio work and live performances with many international artists and local bands before moving to the USA in 1973. Since then, he has been a very active performer and one of the most versatile percussionists in the Bay Area. His mastery of different styles including jazz, fusion, Latin jazz, Brazilian jazz, and South American music has helped him to travel around the world performing with the very best Latin jazz artists.
He has recorded with Merl Saunders, Mad and Eddie Duran, Denise Perrier, Lady Memphis, Frank Jackson, Etta Jones, Eric Shifrin, and Frankie Kelly. He has performed with Etta Jones, George Duke, Pete Escovedo and many others.
http://raulramirezmusic.com
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