Les Paul

I've let my blog languish for quite a spell without posting...but I couldn't let this day end without mentioning the death of one of the electric guitar's greatest innovators...Mr Les Paul. His death today from complications of Pneumonia at age 94 was not totally unexpected, but leaves me stunned nonetheless.

I'm still processing the breadth of Les Paul's legacy. No one other individual did more to advance the state of the art of electric guitar and recording techniques. His recordings with Mary Ford frustrate me to this day...how to get that sound...and how to get that technique under your fingers...not an easy task. Rock and Roll heaven is rejoicing as the electric guitar's first and best innovator finally joins the band.

Without Les Paul's recording innovations...there would have been no George Martin...and without George Martin...none of those incredible sonic portraits on latter day Beatles records. So much that is taken for granted today by sound engineers and guitar players was invented or aggressively perfected by Les Paul in his lifetime.