Les Paul

In September of 2003, I was on tour in the Northeast, and I decided I wanted to catch Les Paul for on of his weekly shows in New York City. A couple of friends and I decided to make the trip to the Iridium Jazz Club near Times Square to catch Les’ show. After paying the thirty or so dollars each to get in, we were there! I was really excited to be able to catch the guy in action that I had read about for many years, plus playing the guitar named after him… Les Paul!

I had determined that I was going to make this night pleasurable and go easy on myself. I wasn’t going to try to get an autograph, or get on stage, or shmooze, or do any kind pf PR or music business. It was just going to be a guitar lesson for me.

 The lights went down, and the sound guy announced, “and now the man that has changed the course of popular music for all of us, Mr. Les Paul and his trio.” It was amazing, and I was enthralled! There he was, in the flesh… the guy that invented multi-track recording, and the solid body electric guitar. I was savoring the moment and was oblivious to everything else around me. This was what I was waiting for. After about 3 or 4 songs, Les starting cutting up with the crowd and the band. It seem that someone on the front row was talking to him, and had said something on the order of “I play guitar too”. Les replied, “so you play too, well come on up here and show us what you can do.” At that moment, a well dressed Middle Eastern Indian gentleman approached the stage. He put on the guitar that Les keeps on the piano for just such occasions. I wasn’t sure what was happening here, and I was trying to figure it out. The guy starting playing the introduction to T-Bone Walker’s Stormy Monday… BADLY! I was getting worried now… the hair on the back of my neck was starting to stand up. My friends, Bobby and John, knew I was starting to get restless. The guy played the one song, and he was off the stage. It wasn’t really a pretty site. By this time, I was fit to be ties, mainly because I couldn’t leave this night with that vision in my memory. Les resumed his show, and I calmed down and enjoyed the rest of the show immensely.

At the close of this, the first show, the announcement was made that CD’s could be purchased from Les’ son, Russ. I immediately went to him, bought a CD, and asked him if that last appearance had been planned. He said that they had never seen the guy before. I explained to him who I was, and that I was on tour, and that I had my first Les Paul Guitar when I was 18. He said if he had known I was there, he would have gotten me up. I immediately said, “I’m still here!” He said OK, come on back and I’ll introduce you to Dad. I was ecstatic! When I met Les, it was like talking to an old friend. I explained to him my situation, and he seemed pleased. He said to stand by the stage and he would get me up with him. I did that and was beside myself. In the next set, he called me up with no idea of who I was or what I could do. I introduced myself to the audience over the mic telling them my name and how honored I was to be there. I immediately launched into a simple version of “Everyday I Have The Blues”, with band following  As I played and sang, Les was smiling. After that song, he said, “well what else ya got?” I went into a slow B.B. King blues classic, “Sweet Little Angel”. That was exciting since, I made it to the second song!” The first guy got the hook after the first tune. When I came off stage, I was walking on air. This was a day I would never  forget!

TO BE CONTINUED…