Artist Template

A tribute to

Les Paul

YMSK Home

YMSK Archives

Listen to the latest
release from :

The Bushwackers

Beating Around the Bush,
A Musical Retrospective
of the 'W' presidency

Homegrown Music

Trade List

E-Mail

Links

This page is a tribute to Les Paul, who died at age 94 last week. One of the pioneers of the electric guitar, inventor of overdubbing,and reverb, he held over 100 patents and world class jazz guitarist.

Whomever you are, if you're alive today and have listened to music in the past 50 or so years, you have been effected and influenced by Les Paul. Along with Adolf Rickenbacker and Leo Fender Les Paul was one of the three pioneers of the instrumet.

In addition he was the first to overdub, that is, record a second part over/with a first. His used piano rolls from a player piano for his first attempts. He later invented a tape recorder which could overdub. He was the first recording artist to release a recording using this technique, as many as 6 guitar parts on one track. He also invented reverb and tremelo, as well as the "Bigsby" pickup.

As you'll hear if you listen to these recordings, Les was as fine a musician as he was an inventor. He played, or should I say held court, at the Irridium Club in NY every Monday night. He retained his chops, though he had trouble with arthritis, as well as his irrepressable wit.

Here are some videos he and Mary Ford made for TV in 1953, followed by an audio recording of his appearance on NPR's Piano Jazz with Maryanne McPartland. That is followed by concerts in his home town in Wisconsin and finally a nice recording of him at the Irridium featuring, among others Dickie Betts from the Allman Brothers, sitting in. . He had a regular Monday night gig here which he played till just before his death at age 94.. He will be missed.

Les Paul and Mary Ford in their home recording studio in the 1950's

Les Paul & Mary Ford AT HOME

I think these vidoes are from around 1953.
Each episode is about 5 minutes.
2 songs with a commercial in the middle.
I've listed all the song titles I know,

If you know the missing titles, please e-mail me.
. Picture and sound is great.

Please note, click on the link to download these videos,
they take a while to download, and then should play in Media Player.

Clip 1

I Cant Give You Anything But Love

Exactly Like you

Clip 6

Song In Blue

Five Alarm Fire

Clip 2
Nveva Larado

?

Clip 7
In The Good Old Summertime

Steel Guitar Rag

Clip 3

There Will Be Some Changes Made

Moritat "Theme From 3 Penny Opera"

Clip 8

St. Louis Blues

Clip 4

I'm Sitting On Top Of The World

This Can't Be Love

Clip 9

Vaya Con Dios

Sparkle

Clip 5

Stomppin At The Savoy

I'm Confessin

Clip 10

Simmeron

Tonights The Night

Les Paul on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Les Paul - guitar Marian McPartland - piano Paul Nowinski - bass Lou Pallo - rhythm guitar Originally recorded Jan. 28, 1999, at Avatar Studios, New York. Originally broadcast June 1, 1999.
01. Introduction & Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 3:35	10. Someday Sweetheart (Johnny Mercer) - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski & Lou Pallo 2:32
02. Summertime (George Gershwin) - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski, Lou Pallo & Marian McPartland 4:27	11. Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 2:05
03. Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 9:15	12. Over The Rainbow (Harold Arlen) - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski & Lou Pallo 3:30
04. 'Deed I Do (Walter Hirsch & Fred Rose) - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski, Lou Pallo & Marian McPartland 2:57	13. Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 4:29
05. Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 1:59	14. Just One More Chance (Sam Coslow & Arthur Johnston) - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski, Lou Pallo & Marian McPartland 3:41
06. I Can't Get Started (Ira Gershwin & Vernon Duke) - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski, Lou Pallo & Marian McPartland 3:44	15. Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 4:34
07. Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 1:34	16. How High the Moon - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski, Lou Pallo & Marian McPartland 3:24
08. I Found A New Baby - Les Paul, Paul Nowinski, Lou Pallo & Marian McPartland 2:06	17. Conclusion - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 1:21 Total Time: 58:45
09. Interview - Les Paul & Marian McPartland 3:26

Les Paul 2007-05-10 Marriott West Hotel Pewaukee, WI Band: Les Paul - guitar John Colianni - piano Lou Pallo - rhythm guitar Nikki Parrot - upright bass w/ Jon Paris on t11 & t12 unknown vocal on t6, t9
01 banter 05:57	09 03:39
02 03:07	10 banter 07:41
03 banter 04:27	11 Let The Good Times Roll 05:12
04 Begin The Beguine 03:46	12 Route 66 05:35
05 banter 03:56	13 Somewhere Over The Rainbow 05:26
06 Is You Is Or Is You Ain't 03:57	14 banter 02:11
07 05:38	15 Tennesee Waltz 03:19
08 04:18	16 Sweet Georgia Brown 03:40

Les Paul at the Irridium
November 26, 2001

Les' regular Monday night session at the Irridium. Listen as A group of musicians attending a Django Reinhardt event in NY this week, sit in with Les. He's in great form joking, telling stories and playing great music.

After playing Django Jazz much of the night, Dickie Betts from the Allman Brothers sits in. 86 year old Les Paul sounds as at home with Betts as he does playing jazz.

Disk 1

Track 1	Track 10
Track 2	Track 11
Track 3	Track 12
Track 4	Track 13
Track 5	Track 14
Track 6	Track 15
Track 7	Track 16
Track 8	Track 17
Track 9	Track 18

Disk 2

Track 1	Track 5
Track 2	Track 6*
Track 3	Track 7*
Track 4	Track 8*

* with Dickie Betts

Les and Paul