|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
• LesPaulOnline.com • RedHotRed.com • IridiumJazzClub.com • JazzPromoServices.com • Buy Les Paul & Friends • Buy Best Of CD • Buy Les Paul DVD
• Kweevak.com Main Page
• Alan Morphew
• SHOW 106: - Great indie music with Nils Lofgren and Glenn Tilbrook
• SHOW 105: - Great indie music with Candice Night and Mick Box
• SHOW 104: - Great indie music with Warrant and Trixter
• SHOW 103: - Great indie music with Eric Bazilian of The Hooters
• SHOW 102: - With Davy Knowles and Geoff Achison
• SHOW 101: - Great indie music with Leo Moran of The Saw Doctors
• SHOW 100: - Great indie music with Cy Curnin of The Fixx
 |
Legendary Guitar Inventor and Player Is a Hot Commodity and Tourist Attraction in New York City! A Kweevak.com Rock Report by Rich and Laura Lynch "You want it," Les Paul asked the male patron in the front row, offering him the fancy blue napkin that he had been using as a handkerchief during the course of the evening. "I'll autograph it for you!"
 The Iridium Jazz Club on Broadway and 51st Street! That incident during the Les Paul and the Les Paul Trio's first set at the Iridium Jazz Club on Monday, August 26, 2006 in New York City nicely summarized the spirit of the evening. Mr. Paul was clearly under the weather and he returned to the napkin many times during the early show to clear his congestion. But, did the 91-year-old guitar legend let his summer cold get in the way of his performance? Not in the least! Les made a joke out of it and maintained a high level humor throughout the night, much of it blue like his napkin. I'm a grump when I have a cold but Les Paul kept the crowd laughing at his remarks while keeping them mesmerized by his guitar mastery as well. His on-stage professionalism and captivating charisma proved why the Les Paul show is one of the hottest tickets in New York City on Monday nights. Les Paul is clearly plugged in to the life-force and energy that is required of top-level entertainers and a chance to see the man play live is a still-electrifying experience. Mr. Les Paul was born June 9th, 1915 destined to play the guitar. At age thirteen, Les was semi-pro performing as a country music artist. In the 1930s, Paul was in radio and involved in jazz. At that time Les started experimenting with guitar designs. By the early 1950's, Gibson was incorporating his designs into their guitars and eventually produced the electric guitars that bear the Les Paul name. Mr. Paul was also an innovator in the recording studio. Les is responsible for multi-tracking, reverb, echo effects and more. In the 1950's, he collaborated with Mary Ford and their records were the first to feature heavy overdubbing, which would become the norm thanks to Les Paul's inventions. Their TV musical show that ran from 1953-1960 was very popular as were their songs, some of which were top ten hits including 'How High The Moon'. Les is also a seven-time Grammy Award winner.
 Seven-time Grammy Award winner Les Paul still gets a kick out of performing! Through the years, Mr. Paul continued experimenting in the studio and playing the guitar. Les was a master in his youth and still is today. In 2006, Les at ninety-one is going strong. He plays two shows with his trio every Monday night at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. The Iridium, located on Broadway and 51st Street, is a premium venue with a state of the art Meyer Sound System conceived by Les Paul. The room is intimate allowing each patron a good view of the stage and its performers including the influential Les Paul. We got to the Iridium a few minutes before seven and the room was already half full for the eight-o-clock show. This gave us time to have dinner. The food was good and the portions generous. By show time the room was packed with a diverse range of fans, including a number of young people, eager to meet the legend. In fact, sitting next to us was a Mom and her eleven-year-old son who had expressed an interest in seeing the master with the hopes of having his pick guard signed. The evening began as the piano and rhythm guitar started off slow as the stand up bass joined in. The lights were dimmed as the club introduced "the man who changed music for all of us." Les made his way to his stool as the trio built a solid rhythm that would compliment Paul's colorful chords. Les's customized guitar has lots of knobs and pick-ups although the majority of his playing is pure with his hands gently working up and down the fret. Les Paul is considered by many to be the father of rock and roll but his trio generally plays timeless jazz tunes. Lou Pallo (rhythm guitar & vocals) sang lead on 'Lady Is A Tramp' with Les adding animated accents. The third piece of the night featured rich, textured leads layered over a slow, sweet rhythm. Yet the song still had a playful element as Paul picked out cheery chords. Les and Lou have been performing together for many years, with a glance they can craft enchanting guitar exchanges. During the set Les pointed out how his band has recently grown to a four piece with the addition of piano player John Colianni. He also pointed out band member Nicki Parrot, the lovely and accomplished bass player who has performed with Les since 1994. Les observed that with a fourth player they would have to change the name of the group. Paul joked about the various incarnations of his band and the slight name changes that his trio has been through over the years. With Parrot in the entourage he said this unit might have to be called, "The Less Balls Trio". Nicki would play foil to more of her boss's humor later in the night.
 Les Paul watches John Colianni as he hits the keys! For their fourth number Lou picked up the pace with fast fretwork as Les delicately added his parts, as did the rest of the band. After Paul introduced the trio he let John Colianni the piano player lead the next few songs while Les watched John's hands move over the piano keys. The rhythm section joined in too. Les commented that he liked Colianni's work and mentioned that he once played with a blind piano player who was also a mortician. Les then revealed that his former sight-impaired employee made the music that accompanied silent movies - a statement that had a few in the audience scratching their heads. Les continued to reminisce about the past by remembering a sax player who was a ditch digger. Les often mixes humor with truths in his stories, some with sexual overtones. Around mid-show Les glanced over at Nicki Parrot, the attractive stand-up bass player, and revealed how he would sometimes like to be with a younger woman. He advised that if she was to be with him that she would have to deal with "shrinkage". Nicki, quick and apt at handling Les's innuendos, delivered her musical reply. Nicki dedicated her solo to Les and went on to say that this song was an answer to the question she often gets asked - 'why do you play the perceived-as-awkward stand us bass'? The answer, of course, was she liked "Big Instruments" - a tune she performed with sultry singing and complex playing. The others joined in adding to the plucky sounds of her bass-led number.
 Les is still a hit with the ladies! After Nicki's song the trio played a romantic tune where the leads and rhythms danced as the piano provided an opulent backdrop. More banter preceded Lou Pallo's featured number, "Around the World", which saw Les singing back up. Les looked over at Lou and him if he remembered the music and "how old are you anyway"? Pallo replied "sixty-eight" and Les joked "wow and you're still playing". Lou is also accustomed to Paul's banter but his replies are short. Les took the opportunity provided by the back-up vocals to tell a tale about a past love affair with Pallo. This hilarious exchange, with Les recalling a fictional history between the two men, went on for a while and included a moving mash-up arrangement when Les started signing to the tune of "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey". Les was imploring Pallo to recall with him saying, "Remember, remember the Ramapo Mountains... we had a cabin... I cooked you dinner... you said it turned you on!" If you're in New York City anytime soon, go see Les Paul at the Iridium Jazz Club, he'll turn you on!
 Lou Pallo, Nicki Parrot & Les Paul during the first set on 08/16/06. Originally Published: 08/29/2006 on Kweevak.com
|
• Community Members • Join Community
• Buy Tickets • Concert Calendar
• 12/18/08 - Nickelback Rolls Into Sturgis on DVD!
• 11/17/08 - Bruce Springsteen's Dream is Coming True!
• 11/16/08 - Getting Close to YES in Asbury Park!
• 11/11/08 - Rod Stewart Gets Definitive Treatment!
• 11/08/08 - Johnny Cash - American Hero in Action!
• 11/07/08 - At Home in Peggy Atwood's Monolithic Dome!
• 11/06/08 - YES Reform to Prove YES WE CAN Still Rock!
• 11/06/08 - The Who Live in 1977 on DVD!
• 10/12/08 - Todd Rundgren's Revolutionary Stand in New Jersey!
• 10/09/08 - Concert Industry News: Reunions & Comebacks!
• 10/07/08 - Arnel Pineda: From YouTube to the Big Screen!
• 10/07/08 - The Grateful Dead Take a Trip in Egypt!
• 10/06/08 - Book Review: Brand, Buzz & Success
• 09/22/08 - Squeeze Takes Hold of New York City
• 09/15/08 - Music Builds on a Solid Foundation of Rock
• 09/04/08 - Woodstock Lives on at Bethel Woods Arts Center
• 09/03/08 - Journey, Heart & Cheap Trick Trio Triumphs
• 09/02/08 - Nils Lofgren Talks to Kweevak Radio
• 09/01/08 - Journey Still in Progress with Great Revelation
• 08/20/08 - King Crimson Celebrates 40 Years in New York
• 08/20/08 - A Brand New Age for Blackmore's Night
• 08/18/08 - Bob Weir Is Still Counting On the Heads
• 08/17/08 - A Storm of RatDog and the Allman Brothers Band
• 08/09/08 - Shaken Alice Cooper Remains Unfazed
• 08/08/08 - Even More Les Paul and Geoff Achison
• 08/06/08 - Hootie & the Blowfish Supply the Goods
• 08/02/08: Bob Dylan - Down the Tracks DVD
• 08/01/08: Night Ranger Blasts a Hole In The Sun
• 07/28/08 - Smokin' Bottle Rockets Fly in Ringwood
• 07/24/08 - Frank Marino's Solid Mahogany Rush
|
