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Topsy Durham

Author. Music Publisher. Marketing. Paralegal

About Me

www.EddieDurhamJazz.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Topsy M. Durham was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York. A paralegal by profession, she spent five years working on this labor of love, a comprehensive biography of her father, the late jazz pioneer Eddie Durham. In 2004, she was granted Honorary Citizenship and the Key to the City of San Marcos, Texas, Eddie’s birthplace. She emceed and co-produced the second, third, and fourth outdoor Eddie Durham Music and Heritage Festivals in San Marcos. As president of Swingin’ the Blues! Durham Music Publishing, she oversees many of Eddie’s copyrights on such hits as “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire”, and “Topsy”. As an activist in the jazz community, she has served on the Board of Directors of The International Women In Jazz, The Harlem Swing Dance Society, and AmSong, Inc., a grassroots organization that spearheaded the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1996. She co-produced and designed the cover for several CDs by NewYorkBlues Hall of Famer Michael Powers, and, although she is not a musician by trade, she played percussions on a few of the songs. Articles about her have appeared in The New York Times, Just Jazz Magazine, and the Swedish publication, Jefferson Blues Magazine. Visit DurhamJazz.com.

Contact Me

My Jazz Story

Eddie Durham Festival Emcee, and Author of: "SWINGIN' THE BLUES Eddie Durham book series" (Amazon): 1. The Virtuosity of EDDIE DURHAM" Volume 1 (1906-1940) - Released in 2021; 2. Eddie Durham & The Ladies of Jazz - (1921-1987) - 2023; unreleased: 3. Eddie Durham - A Century of Secrets (1945-1978); 4. Eddie Durham & The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band (1976-1987) - 2022. Music Licensing: "Swingin' the Blues Durham Music Publishing" A.S.C.A.P. / B.M.G. www.EddieDurhamJazz.com Eddie Durham arranged the iconic song IN THE MOOD & composed SLIPHORN JIVE (Glenn Miller); composed TOPSY (Basie & Cozy Cole); I DON'T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE (InkSpots & Fallout video game), He wrote SWINGING THE BLUES (Count Basie); BLUES IN THE GROOVE (Jimmie Lunceford); OH EDDIE (Bennie Moten); MY WHOLE LIFE THROUGH (Sarah McLawler) ...many, many more. Of the major groups active during the Swing Era, only about five orchestras were unaffected by the talents of Eddie Durham. He is the orchestrator of the Lester Young / Herschel Evans sax duo duel. He mentored Charlie Christian, Floyd guitar Smith, Ina Ray Hutton, Edgar Battle, Phil Schaap, and Loren Schoenberg, etc. WRITTEN by (Eddie's daughter) TOPSY M. DURHAM

My House Concert Story

Festival Emcee, Author, Topsy M. Durham, was a Board Member of AmSong, Inc., a grassroots organization that spearheaded the SONNY BONO COPYRIGHT TERM EXTENSION ACT (1996) - signed by President William Clinton. This legislation increased copyright ownership by 20 extra years. Daughter emcees the ANNUAL Eddie Durham Festival in his hometown of San Marcos, Texas, held mid-October, in the #EddieDurham Park at the Pavilion. She is the Author of 3 books on Eddie Durham and also the President of Durham Swing Music Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP / BMG) The permanent #EddieDurham exhibit is at "Johnnie Armstead's Calaboose African American History Museum", San Marcos, Texas. Topsy M. Durham also maintains the websites: www.EddieDurhamJazz.com #EddieDurham www.PowersBluesMusic.com #MichaelPowersNY www.facebook.com/Eddie.DurhamJazz