Les Paul RIP

[Hollow Sun]

94

Probably the most influential man in modern music...

Electric guitar, multi-tracking.

Not a bad innings though.


Steve

[froggy54]

Only a few leave such a huge legacy to music ! Think about it : Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul, Flying V, Firebird, ... He's the only one whose name is associated with a type of guitar !

[christianrock]

Well, that and he INVENTED the friggin' solidbody guitar. So he's above all those others you mentioned because he invented the type of guitar that ALL of those names belong to.

RIP, mr. Les Paul. You were a good man.

[Hollow Sun]

I think that's what Froggy was saying Chris!

[markone]

And... As Steve said, the father of multi-track recording, and no slouch on the performers side of the studio glass.

A true pioneer. RIP

[rainbow]

Sad to hear of the passing of Les Paul who I've long thought of as the guitar/recording counterpart of the late lamented Robert Moog. They both invented and built iconic musical instruments and between them pioneered and shaped musical culture with their inventions, which happily continue to inspire a new generation of performers today. Yet they were quite unassuming, genial and genuine ... nature's gentlemen.
I have video tape of Les Paul's performance at Seville Guitar Expo '92 with him playing in his customary effortless jazz/classic style ... perched on a stool and sporting a yellow turtleneck sweater and delivering a very cool performance. He later shared the stage with some pretty heavy Rock 'n Roll names such as Slash from Guns 'n Roses, Brian May, Paul Rodgers and company and it was clear he was as at home in that performing environment as his own and it was equally clear that he was held in high esteem and recognised for his pioneering work by those he shared that stage with. This again was evidenced in a recent BBC documentary.

94 and out ... a great innings, a great man ... well played Les. Will there be the likes of Les and Robert again? I hope so.

[feez]

Yes, the best guitar for me..i've got one since 1991 and it's always so good, just plug ( with a good amp !) and play . I love it.
Father of Multi track ? i didn't know that, sure he was a pioneer. Modern music and sound is a part of him.

[jpvideo]

Les Paul was a cool guy.

I had the honor of attending his 90th birthday at Iridium in NYC some years ago where we chatted briefly about his stit with 'The Andrew Sisters' and why most guitarists like Fender Stratocasters. He was friendly and jovial with an overwhelming sense of humor and I returned the jocularity to him as well. I remember him joking about his fingers arthritis and his inability to play trills like he used to.

During his performance that evening of "How High the Moon", a woman got up and went to the bathroom. Les stopped the band and joked 'ala' corny deadpan old school and fussed about for the roughly 10 minutes she spent in the 'powder room'. When she returned everyone began to cheer as when she sat down Les and the band began to play the tune again from the start.

Although, among many circles his claims to have invented the multi-track recorder are controversial; he was adamantly modest about his accomplishments.

Many years apart and now re-joined eternal with his wife and partner Mary Ford once again gardening in the abyss of nothingness.

Funny that I will be at Iridium next week. Maybe, I'll spill some of my wine into the floor in homage to Les' spirit as a last taste for the solid body electric dead.

[jokeyman123]

He lived in Mahwah NJ. until he passed away, near me. He played regularly in clubs in that area-he influenced my friend Mark Sganga, who studied guitar with Joe Cinderella, both extremely talented jazz guitarists influenced by Mr. Paul. I got the first 4-track TEAC multitrack deck back in 1972 before it was on the market and I still have it. I too, was influenced by Mr. Paul and experimented with that machine alot when I first got it. I also met another great guitarist a few years ago, John Pizzarelli, Bucky's son who was also friends with Mark who lived in Ramsey, NJ and still plays. He was leading a tribute to Les Paul's works-among which was his arrangement of "How High the Moon"-which sequed from his trio into the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, with video overlays of Les Paul and Mary Ford-actually used audio segments of Les Paul playing along with John and the orchestra-what an incredible performance to see. They synchronized the actual video and audio of Les Paul playing it, with the entire trio and symphony orchestra, blew me away! What a musical community to be near. John, Bucky, Les Pau, Joe Cinderella i did a show with-all close by-and the Van Gelder studios In Englewood, NJ which I passed by regularly, but never had the chance to record in (i was a nobody jazz drummer back then, still am). at least I rubbed elbows with some of these greats. and lived in Teaneck, NJ as a kid-near the home of Dizzy Gillespie in Englewood.

[Jesse]

Alesis Fusion affectionately known as "The Beast"

Very Cool, some fond memories to have