Eddie Drennon (born Edward Allen Drennen in Newark, NJ)

VARIANTS: Eddie Drennan, Eddie Drennen, Edward Drennan, Eddy Drennon, Edward Drennon

“Eddy Drennon, americano, considerado como el mejor violinista de charanga del mundo (considered the best charanga violinist in the world) ”
-El Pueblo, Cali, Colombia, 12/30/78, Orquesta Novel concert review

Composer of:
LET'S DO THE LATIN HUSTLE
WOULD YOU DANCE TO MY MUSIC
DISCO JAM
SALSA BOOGIE

Featured violinist with:
BO DIDDLEY (1960-68)
ORQUESTA NOVEL (1968-84)
CHARANGA AMERICA (1984-87)
CHARANGA SOUL (1987-

Eddie, who is featured in Sam Bardfeld’s critically acclaimed book LATIN VIOLIN: How to play Salsa, Charanga and Latin Jazz Violin, studied violin with Louia Vaughn Jones and music composition with Mark Fax at the Howard University School of Music, Washington, DC (1959-63); he previously studied violin with Samuel Applebaum and Ugo Carano; studied music theory and composition with Rocco Pesile and Achilles D’Amico while attending Arts High School, Newark, NJ (1954-58).

Eddie is presently a member of the Umoja String Quartet and serves on the faculty at the George Washington University and Levine School of Music, Washington, DC.

Eddie Drennon and BBS Unlimited

Eddie’s best known albums are COLLAGE (1975 Friends & Co. FS 108, Eddie Drennon & BBS Unlimited), WOULD YOU DANCE TO MY MUSIC (1977 Casablanca NBLP 7062, Eddie Drennon & BBS Unlimited) and IT DON’T MEAN A THING (1978 Casablanca NBLP 7095, Eddie Drennon). He recorded two Salsa Jazz Fusion albums, CHARANGA CHICAGO (1977 La China LP 701) and EDDIE DRENNON AND CHARANGA SOUL (1983 Kim K 741). Due to contractual obligations (1976 -79), Eddie is listed as Eddie Dee on the CHARANGA CHICAGO album, SALUD, DINERO Y AMOR (Orquesta Novel, Fania JM 00520) and several other albums.

“Eddie Drennon’s IT DON’T MEAN A THING album on Casablanca has been picking up a lot of action the past few weeks… Drennon’s Latin-spiced funk fits in with the current surge of neo-funk cuts… The knockout: DISCO JAM (5:57) with its chunky, vibrant arrangement of percussion, strings and live-wire guitar.…”
-Record World, 8/19/78 Eddie Drennon’s IT DON’T MEAN A THING album review

“Like some incredible freight train on its perpetual journey from Mississippi to Chicago, Bo Diddley and his entourage… Eddie Drennon on amplified violin… drummer Clifton James…Chester Lindsay on bass, their sound is pure locomotion. Drennon plays a mean electric pizzicato…sometimes playing a kind of melodic Bo Diddley legato beat… a musically infectious sound.”
-The Telegram, Toronto, Canada, 10/18/66, Bo Diddley Le Coq D’Or Tavern appearance review

“In the mix of infectious polyrhythms and jubilant melodies were isolated statements by players whose jazz chops and tastes were abreast of contemporary sounds. Most notably violinist Eddie Drennon of Stuff Smith ferocity drove the dancers to near frenzy with a feverish solo in the final moments before the appearance of the headliner (Celia Cruz).”
                                   -Washington Post, 11/29/82, Celia Cruz concert review

“They have fallen back on the modern charanga formula patented by Tipica Novel, whose great fiddler Eddie Drennon is featured here (and on Orquesta Broadway’s album as well)... Instrumental work overshadows the vocals as Drennon whips off a burning solo”
              -Downbeat, 4/19/79, Orquesta Broadway/Tipica Ideal record reviews

“The mega-massive hit ARREPIENTETE… intensity, fine singing, a great and highly characterful and expressive violin solo by American master-violinist Eddie Drennon…”
              -Amazon.com, 5/31/09 CD review for Pasaporte: Orquesta Broadway

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