Jazz Guitarist Lenny Breau: A documentary about this genius and his tragic death
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2024
- Despite possessing musical gifts of such magnitude that Chet Atkins once called him “the greatest guitarist who ever walked the face of the earth”, Lenny Breau spent most of his professional life in relative obscurity.
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The Winnipeg guitar players of the 1960’s and 1970’s knew of Lenny Breau. We were all very proud of Lenny.
Five o clock bells! Lenny was jazz and everything else. The soul/emotion in his playing made him different to most other players and his technical ability was peerless. Actually loved him singing when he did. Sadly missed one-off genius!
There might be some people out there who haven't heard of Lenny Breau, but I've known about him all my life. Likewise with many Lenny fans all over the world. Since I was a 16-year old teenager and saw him a small coffee house in Canada one night, and sat feet away from him for his entire solo performance, I have been a huge fan. He was truly a virtuoso on the highest level, and Chet Atkins opinion of him was shared by many others Unfortunately Lenny was also a heroin addict and a person incapable of dealing with the normal demands of life, and came to a tragic end. This has been covered in various documentaries and biographies. However his recorded legacy is still as great as ever.
Very fortunate to meet him and hear him play twice.
When Chet Atkins says you're great well...
Unfortunately, not even Chet, who I think looked at Lenny as the son he never had, could get Lenny to kick his bad habits. Imagine Lenny today, 100% sober, playing his guitar & taking his playing to new levels.
Great job with this video! I've been playing fingerstyle guitar for nearly 50 years.I'm a decent player, but light years from Lenny. I've seen live a lot of the great guitarist's in my day. Chet Atkins, John Knowles, Tommy Emmanuel. Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Carlos Montoya, Elliot Fisk, Douglas Niedt,etc. What was mind blowing with Lenny was that he mastered so many different styles at such a high level. No one had done before him or since. I discovered Lenny in the early 2000's after reading a book authored by Chet Atkins. Then I bought all Lenny's CD's and what a treat that was. Lastly, he played in such a warm and soulful way; and his tone/ phrasing was phenomenal. Thanks for sharing.
Being 🇨🇦, I’ve known about him since the ‘70’s. For my money, one of jazz’s greatest guitarists. His style was absolutely original; Chet Atkins/Merle Travis technique meets Bill Evans at a flamenco soirée. Lenny’s pinch harmonics were breathtaking…the Renoir of jazz guitar.
He once lived in my original hometown.
Thank you for giving this incredible guitarist his flowers!! 🍀
A tragic story, but fortunately Lenny left behind many recordings. He gave so much.
Cabin Fever is my favorite solo acoustic record of all time. Lenny was a rare gift to the world.
I’ve heard of this guy. He was perhaps the greatest guitarist ever. He really did master the instrument.
Time moves on and people are forgotten… even ones who were spectacularly talented. But this video suggests that there are still those who remember Lenny Breau. ❤️❤️❤️ If you haven’t listened to him yet, do it NOW!
Man, where you been??
The Bourbon St gig - duet w Dave Young was recorded by Toronto jazz DJ Ted O’Reilly in 83 and released in 95 as “Live at Bourbon St” (partial releases in mid 80’s as Legacy and Quietude) In my humble opinion, it’s the best Lenny recording. Incredible playing by Lenny and Dave.
For more jazz guitar greats you’ve never heard of, try Ed Bickert and Reg Schwager.
✌️
OR : Larry @well, Wilbur Wynne - Dick Eliot
Lenny gave a workshop, a talk and play thing, at Berklee in '76. It ended up in the brand new Performance Center. I got a good seat.
I would've thought of a question to ask, but having just seen a guy play bass with his thumb, 2-note chords with his index and 3rd, and then...
...do a rapid pick melody thing worthy of Al DiMeola, only using his 4th and 5th fingers. While, you know, still covering the bass and harmonic content.
My jaw remains dropped, to this day...
Another commenter mentioned Lenny's personality being on high relief in his playing. Gotta say, the only other guitarist playing on that high a technical level while still maintaining his own unique character may be Holdsworth. I'll think of more, of course...
Lenny spoke a bit at the event I mention above, and he defined the word humble. Soft-spoken, not a hint of braggadocio...and then he brought the volume up just enough and started in. He was playing a 12 -String, strung with 6 strings as I recall. He liked the wide neck. He was amazing.
I saw him a few years later with Tal Farlow, but that's another story..
The 4th and 5th fingers. Kee-Reist...
Lenny is still an inspiration for me. George is right. He was way ahead of his time. Listen to some of the CBC recordings here on CZcams, his sense of harmony on the guitar was unequaled. Slight inaccuracy, Lenny did return to Canada in the early 80’s as he had a full week gig playing at the Cock and Lion at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa….i was there every night. Lenny even let me play his 7 string solid body. Very soft spoken and gracious and what a treat it was to sit front row night after night listening to a true genius.
Thank you ❤
I got into Breau via his columns in Guitar Player magazine in the late 70s. Andy Summers actually took some lessons with him and you can hear the influence in his use of harmonics. I really like the Standard Brands album as well as Boy Wonder and a late official bootleg. So good that he is getting recognition.
Most people in the Auburn, Maine area are well aware of Lenny. There is a tribute put on for him every year. Five O'clock Bells is an absolute classic!
In my early days I had learned guitar from a great guitarist from Thunder Bay named Kenny Moore, he showed me the pinch harmonics from Lenny Breau and the running baselines of Joe Pass. That era of guitar playing was quintessential for jazz guitar, thank you Lenny Breau.
I’m from far off Australia and, like any guitarist at the time with any curiosity, I’ve known about Lenny since the 70s if for no other reason that he was lauded by so many other great guitarists. Also guitarists you’d meet would show you their attempts at the famous Lenny Breau harmonics technique. His records , though fairly hard to get, were hunted down and marvelled at.
Thanks for making this well-researched video. I knew a little about Breau's talent and chaotic life before watching it, but your video cleared a lot of things up for me.
Cool.
Thanks for sharing.
great musicians all know about Lenny!
The CDs of Lenny with clarinetist Brad Terry are outstanding, and show Lenny at the height of his powers.
I can tell why I never bought one of his Records: Albeit his great Technique his Synthesis of Styles did not Thrill me.
Obviously many others who knew about him and his Skills were also not willing to buy his Records. But I think as a Musicians Musician he will be remembered for his Influence on Musicians.
I shared an apartment in Rochdale back in 1970 and Lenny came along with an acquaintance of mine, an American expatriate who somehow got himself on the Canadian methadone program. I had a beat up old acoustic with bowed neck, 4 or 5 strings and a cracked top that Lenny asked if he could play. I said, well, you can try. I had no idea he was LENNY BREAU. I soon heard my guitar making music like it was a stratavarious of guitars.
Randy Bachman’s songs Undun, Laughing, lookin’ Out For Number One were a direct result of Lenny’s influence. He taught Randy jazz chords and Chet Atkins style playing.
Lenny lived in Edmonton Alberta Canada for a time , and losers and hangers on were always eager to give him drugs , he became a tragic figure . The people who knew him well always asserted Lenny had a life long aversion to water , so he would never have gone near a swimming pool ! What an amazing talent he was .
Les Paul heard Lenny on a recording as a teen and apparently wanted lessons not realizing he was such a young boy with genius ability on the guitar
Lenny Breau and Ted Greene - two greatest guitar geniuses I ever heard..
This is an excellent biography of Lenny Breau. Back in 1971, I was taking bass guitar lessons from John Erlendson, the younger brother of Bob Erlendson, whom you mention here. You are probably the first person talking about Lenny that has discussed how important those gigs/lessons with Bob Erlendson were for Lenny’s early development. The Erlendson brothers were sharing an apartment in the Rochdale College building in Toronto; one Saturday I went for my bass lesson with John, and he pointed out an electric guitar case and said, “Wanna see something cool”? and he showed my Lenny Breau’s custom 7 string, with a pair of neatly folded black leather jeans in the case. “We are holding them for Lenny ’til his next gig, so he can’t pawn them…) I was just 15 at the time, and the idea that someone could get so messed up that they’d pawn their axe just blew me away. I had just got my first 1963 Fender Precision bass, given to me as payment for some recording sessions I was doing for I guy I met through a connection at high school. Anyway, that was my little Lenny Breau story; also as I said, I’m really glad to see that Bob Erlendson is getting a bit of recognition. I was just a high school kid that was living in a group home until my 16th birthday; I owned nothing in the world but that Fender bass and an amp, and John Erlendson was kind enough to give me free bass lessons every week; what a great guy. I’m pretty sure I heard Bob had passed, but John, I hope you’re doing OK! I remember that they had a cool geodesic dome which they’d built in the living room that was used as their kids’ bedroom. We were all real ‘hippies’ back then, although I remember John called his age group ‘de-greasers’, because they started out as ‘greasers’ in the 50s and became hippies in the 60s!
Thanks again for this vid; I still rarely meet anyone who has heard of Lenny Breau, although i've been living in the States since the mid 80s, and I think Canadians are generally more aware of his legacy. The internet is slowly changing that, which I'm glad for.
Great story!
My #1 guitarist- his musicianship, technique and ability to play multiple genres at the highest level set him apart.
40 years ago this would have been a fair question but Lenny's become a really well known player in the years since his death ... at least among guitar players (and really, who other than guitar players really cares about jazz guitar?).
Jazz is like classical and flamenco. It's mature, available and past its glory days, like 50's rock n roll. And session men were unknown outside the profession for the most part. The occasional Glen Campbell happens now and then.
And he gave Randy Bachman guitar lessons in Winnipeg.
Jerry Reed told me that Lenny was “The best guitarist ever to shit between two boots”
all the jazz guitar players know lenny breau
I didn't know how messed up Lenny was on hard drugs until I read his biography. I guess "troubled genius" describes him pretty well.
While a great overview of his life it would have been good to add some actual playing by Lenny Breau.
I would have loved to but, his music is under copyright
@@onetrackjazz understand, I get that.
What do you mean?? I've known of Lenny Breau!!
Of course you did! There there,calm down,eh?
SIMPLE: U WERE B0RN YESTERDAY .....(=the shadow knows ...& kowtows ! ).
Another great musician ruined by dope. I hate that shit.😕