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LES PAUL
- Iridium Jazz Club, New York City
March 15, 2004
For nearly two
decades, Les Paul has performed a pair of shows every Monday night
in New York City. The Iridium Jazz Club has played host to these
gigs for the past seven years, offering fans the opportunity for
an up close view of the man who built the first solid body guitar,
and who is also credited with inventing echo delay, multi tracking,
and many other revolutionary recording techniques.
On March 15, nearly 17 years after first learning that this legend
was not only alive, but still performing each and every week, I
finally found myself seated in this tiny club, anxiously awaiting
the arrival of Paul, a man who claims his biggest gift has always
been being blessed with an ear for the perfect pitch. Backed by
a band that he still calls his "Trio," despite the fact
that he has added a fourth member (the very talented John Colianni
on keyboards), Paul joyfully took the stage for an hour and a half
set of jazz standards, while always taking the time to playfully
joke with the crowd, and his band mates, between each song.
On this night, the most enjoyable of these classic hits included
"All of Me," "As Time Goes By" (which Paul referred
to as "that Casablanca thing"), a masterfully played "Somewhere
Over the Rainbow," "Blue Skies," and "Is You
Is, Or Is You Ain't My Baby." The latter song was sung by his
classy, and beautiful, standup bassist from Australia in a stunning,
pitch-perfect tone.
At age 89, Paul still seemed to be having the time of his life on
stage. His performances are known to draw appearances by many of
the premiere names in the business, with past guests including such
artists Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Billy Gibbons,
and Slash.
Paul was also recently honored by the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame,
who announced the opening of a new exhibit dedicated to the work
of 1988 Hall of Fame Inductee Les Paul. "The New Sound: Les
Paul and the Electric Guitar," which opened on March 5, 2004,
will be part of a permanent exhibit space on the Museum's second
floor entitled "The Architects of Rock and Roll."
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