Al - I love all Eddie Laing's work! The "Blind Willie Dunn" duets that he did with Lonnie Johnson are stunning - and LJ displays an incredible technique in them. I suppose - if I was pushed - that I'd go for the Adrian Rollini/Joe Venuti/Eddie Laing/Arthur Schutt period - "Ragging The Scale" and all that.

He was also superb in the Whiteman Orchestra. A lot of people today look down their noses at Whiteman, but even Ellington and his ilk had huge respect for him. He looked after his musicians, even when they were off on benders like Bix - paid for treatment, kept their band seats ready for them when they returned.

So - all of Laing for me - and what a shame that he died so young from a botched tonsilectomy, eh?

I also love the guitar duets from Carl Kress and Dick McDonough - "Heatwave" is an excellent example.