Thursday, August 13, 2009

R.I.P., Les Paul


Beyond his impact on the electric guitar and electric guitarists, Les Paul was responsible for a sea change in music production -- he essentially invented multitrack recording.

Paul died Thursday night at age 94.

I really regret never catching any of the Monday-night sessions he held at New York jazz clubs Iridium and, before that, Fat Tuesdays. Star rock and jazz guitarists were among the sit-in guests at those shows. My sad excuse for never making it: Every time I visited New York, including my trips to cover the 2005-07 conferences of the late, great IAJE, I'd come in on a Wednesday or Thursday and leave on a Sunday.

On a long-ago trip to New York, my friends Domenick, Lennie and Joe and I ran into Paul on 14th Street, home to several musical instrument stores. I'm pretty sure that Dom got a picture with Paul. Gracious guy.

AP story here here.

N.Y. Times


NYT obit (Jon Pareles)

CNN

NME

1 comment:

one step ahead said...

a legend! thank god i got to see him at iridium.