Welcome to the New 12th Gate Coffee House!
Dave Werner and I have been talking for some months about the possibility of featuring Wisconsin-born superstar Les Paul. His death at 94 last Thursday sort of forced the issue. So tonight, we remember not only a great guitar player and music inventor, but a delightful soul.
Paul (June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009) was born Lester William Polsfus in Waukesha, Wisconsin to George and Evelyn (née Stutz) Polsfus. He was a musician and innovator, famous for being a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which “made the sound of rock and roll possible.”[1] He is credited with many recording innovations, including overdubbing (also known as sound on sound),[2] delay effects such as tape delay, phasing effects, and multitrack recording.[3]
His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many of the guitarists of the present day.[4][5][6][7] He recorded with his wife Mary Ford in the 1950s and they sold millions of hit records.
Les Paul was known for his collaboration with the Gibson Guitar Corporation in the creation of the Gibson Les Paul, one of the most famous solid-body guitars in the world. It has been used by many well-known guitarists including Billy Gibbons, Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Slash and Pete Townshend. (Wiki)
Please bear with me a bit, as I start with some longer documentary videos. First, we have the recently made Les Paul – Chasing Sound
The second is a shorter piece about the guitar – but as a context, let me begin with the famous Coors commercial that says it all.
Now enjoy – the trailer about the First Burst (Sunburst, that is!)
Mary Ford was an important partner in Les Paul’s work. After their marriage on December 29, 1949, the couple appeared together on their NBC radio program, The Les Paul Show (1949-50), and they had a series of hit records for Capitol Records in the early 1950s, including “Tiger Rag”, “Vaya con Dios” (11 weeks at #1), “How High the Moon” (nine weeks at #1), “Bye Bye Blues” and “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise”. These songs featured Mary harmonizing with herself, giving the vocals a very novel sound. Paul and Ford also used the now-ubiquitous recording technique known as close miking, where the microphone is less than six inches from the singer’s mouth. This produces a more intimate, less reverberant sound than when the singer is a foot or more from the microphone. It also emphasizes low-frequency sounds in the voice. The result was a singing style that diverged strongly from earlier styles, such as vocals in musical comedies of the 1930s and 1940s.
In 1953 the couple began their television series, The Les Paul and Mary Ford at Home Show. In 1955 they gave a concert at Carnegie Hall, and the following year they performed for President Dwight Eisenhower at the White House.
All right, enough context – let’s sit back and enjoy the music.
Les Paul wailing at the Iridium 07/07/1997
Les, at 91 years old, early in the 8:00 pm set of his band’s regular Monday Night gig at NYC’s Iridium Jazz Club. Backed by Les’s Jersey buddy, Lou “The Man of 1,000 Inversions” Pallo on the LP Black Beauty, Nicki Parrot on bass, and Jon Colliannis on piano.
I Can’t Get Started
A 76 year old Les Paul playing an instrumental version of Over The Rainbow from his 1988 concert “Les Paul & Friends”.
How High the Moon - Les Paul Expo 1992
The Legscy Continues – just for fun please enjoy this wonderful clip with Les Paul and Wisconsin-born, then eight year old Tallan Latz @ Pabst Theater 6/21/08
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Links
Slash and Joe Sattriani reflect on Les Paul
Have as great week!
Great set! I really enjoyed listening to his music (and the Coors commercial was great!).
I feel stupid though, because I was very familiar with Les Paul guitars, but never knew that he was also a musician! Wonderful musician and a wonderful sense of humor. He seems to have been someone who really embraced and enjoyed life.