Losing a Legendary Musician, Inventor

Rock and roll would not be rock and roll without the iconic sound of the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton — legendary names quickly fill up the list of guitarists who owe their sound, at least in part, to the Les Paul.

News of Les Paul’s death at the age of 94 on Thursday, Aug. 13, from complications of pneumonia has prompted everyone from Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and Brian “Head� Welch of Korn to legions of garage band players to take a moment to appreciate the life and work of this pioneer.

“As great a musician, songwriter and performer as he was, his legacy as an inventor towers over his musical contributions,� said Eliot Osborn of Salisbury, guitarist for The Joint Chiefs. “It is simply impossible to imagine rock and roll and all the various genres it’s spawned without the electric guitar.�

Darren Winston of Sharon, who worked in artist relations with Gibson when he was in his 20s, tried to explain what makes a Les Paul guitar unique.

“There’s the feel of it — any guitar player would know it, just the contours of it,� he said. “But it’s really the sound. The dense wood gives a great sustain, and the way the neck is set it’s easy to play. You can’t fake it. Either it’s that sound or it’s not.�

In addition to inventing the electric guitar — Paul began experimenting with amplifying his guitar at age 13 and created “The Log,� a 4-by-4 hunk of wood with strings, in 1939 — he is responsible for multi-track recording. “Lover (When You’re Near Me),� the first multi-track recording Paul released, featured him playing eight guitar parts, some recorded at half-speed and played back “double fast.�

“His house was and is like a museum,� said Winston, who, during his Gibson days, would drive the company’s CEO to Paul’s home. “He would say his great hero was Thomas Edison. Les’ house was full of all this amazing, funky stuff he invented. He had eight tape machines stacked up 8 feet high — that was the birth of multi-track recording. The Log was sitting on a sofa in the studio and it was like being next to the Holy Grail.�

Winston has a collection of guitars that includes a re-issue of a 1959 Gibson Les Paul sunburst he plays every Friday at North End Trattoria in Kent.

“I’m really a Fender guy, but this is my favorite Gibson I’ve had.� Coming from a man who was paid in Gibson instruments rather than currency, that says something. “It’s light, which is rare for a Les Paul, and it plays great. I keep it in top condition, thanks to a friend who works on it.�

David Spinozza of Salisbury, a career musician who has played with Don McLean, James Taylor, John Lennon and Paul McCartney (separately), among others, and who will travel to Japan this fall with his band, L’image, had the opportunity to play with Paul.

“I played in the house band in a tribute concert to him 15 years ago,� Spinozza said, remembering that Eddie Van Halen, Steve Miller, Stanley Jordan and Pink Floyd, among others, performed in that concert. “I had the privilege of working with him and played live with him a few times. We talked about him like he was a contemporary; we never thought of him as 94 years old.�

Spinozza was responsible for introducing Paul to Nicki Parrotte, the upright bass player who played with him every Monday night at the Iridium in New York City for the past nine years.

At the time, Spinozza was playing in a jazz trio with Parrotte and John Tropea. They dropped in to the Iridium and Paul invited them on stage to play.

“We played a couple of numbers and he hired Nicki on the spot,� Spinozza said. “Here was this 26-year-old Australian woman playing the stand-up bass. He just loved the visual thing of something being different.�

Spinozza also recalled his personal relationship with Paul.

“He was a very sweet guy, very approachable,� he said. “He had an unbelievable sense of humor and was a great storyteller. He went back to the days of Bing Crosby — it was unbelievable the people he worked with. He was the grandfather of the electric guitar. None of us would be playing electric guitar if it weren’t for him.�