Les Paul: At work is the place to be

Guitar legend and longtime New Jersey resident Les Paul celebrated his 86th birthday with a jam session this month at the Iridium Jazz Club in Manhattan.

By: Ken Weingartner
   Resting in a hospital bed 21 years ago after having undergone quintuple bypass heart surgery, Les Paul hoped he might squeeze another decade out of life.

"Guitar


Guitar legend Les Paul celebrated his 86th birthday with a jam session June 11 at the Iridium Jazz Club in Manhattan.

Staff photo by Phil McAuliffe

   The legendary guitarist was 65 and feeling the effects of an entertainment career that dated back to the 1930s. He had to make a decision about his future.
   "The doc asked me to promise him two things, that I’d always be his friend and that I’d work hard," Mr. Paul recalled last week after celebrating his 86th birthday. "I told him I thought that’s what got me here, working hard. He told me work never hurt anybody.
   "So I laid there in my room and I drew a line down a piece of paper. I put down what I enjoyed doing, what I didn’t like doing. Now, I’ve got to make a decision. Here I am with heart surgery. I don’t know how long this bypass is going to make it. In those days, it was five, 10 years. I thought maybe I’d be lucky and make 10. It was a little scary.
   "I chose to go back and find a place where I would enjoy myself and I would not be grinding out a job. Something that I’d have fun doing. That was the key."

"Above,


Above, guitarist Frank Vignola and pianist Monty Alexander work together on "The Lady is a Tramp."

Staff photo by Phil McAuliffe

   He returned to work in a limited capacity. From 1984 through 1995, he appeared weekly at the defunct Fat Tuesdays in New York City. Since 1996, Mr. Paul and his trio play Monday nights at the Iridium Jazz Club on West 63rd St. in Manhattan.
   At age 86, Mr. Paul still is working, much to the delight of jazz and guitar lovers everywhere.
   "I look forward to every Monday night," Mr. Paul said with a smile. "I enjoy every Monday. It’s great to have friends. It’s great to not be home locked in a room. I feel very fortunate.
   "Let’s start here: I’m darn lucky that you even want to ask me a question or take my picture. So whatever little bit you can accomplish in this world, you should thank God. Bing Crosby called it luck. I’m still trying to figure it all out, but I sure was thrown a couple bones."
   Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisc., Mr. Paul really has had two careers, one as a musician and the other as an inventor.

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Above, Les Paul, who still performs weekly at the Iridium.

Staff photo by Phil McAuliffe

   He created the solid-body electric guitar and is the father of multi-track recording and other electronic effects like delay and echo that are commonplace today. In March, he received the 2001 Technical Grammy, a special merit award for those who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
   As a musician, he had a No. 1 hit with Bing Crosby in 1945, "It’s Been a Long, Long Time," and a string of successful recordings for Capitol in the 1950s with then-wife, Mary Ford.
   In 1988, Mr. Paul was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The longtime Mahwah resident also is a member of the New Jersey Inventor’s Hall of Fame.
   "I’m more than fortunate," Mr. Paul said. "You’ve got to wonder why you’re so lucky. I’m just grateful for what I have. I have no qualms about it, thank God for that."
   Mr. Paul said as a child he "stumbled" onto the guitar.
   "It was just one of those things," he said. "It’s a very interesting instrument. It’s everything you’d want. I think the guitar is an extremely great friend. It challenges the hell out of you because there’s a million ways to play it, and no one plays it right yet.
   "Johnny Smith said it one time; I asked him how he was doing, and he said, ’To think I spend this much time practicing wrong.’ It’s really a trip, playing the guitar."
   The road, really, has never been all that easy for Mr. Paul. He once almost electrocuted himself during a jam session in his basement and was nearly killed in a 1948 automobile accident. His right arm, rather than be amputated, was permanently set with a plate at a right angle so he could play guitar. Now, severe arthritis makes playing sometimes difficult.

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Above, blues harpist Jon Paris (right) and the Uptown Horns.

Staff photo by Phil McAuliffe

   Yet he keeps "plugging away," as he says. He still displays a great sense of humor, which is exhibited frequently during his shows. He also shows a genuine appreciation of those who come to visit him, and his fans. He signs autographs and poses for pictures well after the final note is played.
   For his birthday, jazz pianist Monty Alexander joins Mr. Paul and his trio, which consists of guitarists Lou Pallo and Frank Vignola and bassist Nicki Parrott. Other guests throughout the night include vocalist Caterina Zapponi (an impressive newcomer from Italy), drummer Joe Ascione, trumpeter Bob Livey, blues harpist Jon Paris, and the Uptown Horns.
   The songs include "Over the Rainbow," "How High the Moon," "Just One More Chance," "Makin’ Whoopee," "Begin the Beguine," "Let the Good Times Roll," "Kansas City," and "Take the A Train."
   From the smile on his face, it’s easy to see Mr. Paul still enjoys performing, even if he doesn’t see what all the fuss is about.

"Guitarist


Guitarist Lou Pallo

 
"Bassist


Bassist Nicki Parrott

Staff photos by Phil McAuliffe

   "I beat up on myself," he said. "I’d say I’m nothing. There’s a lot of times I wish I’d played better. I wish that all the time. I wish I would’ve amounted to something. They accuse me of being humble. I don’t think I’m humble, I’m just being truthful."
   He enjoys watching other guitarists, and he doesn’t have to look far to find one of his current favorites — Mr. Vignola.
   "It’s great to see so many people doing what I tried to do," Mr. Paul said with a laugh. "I’m still trying. So, I happened to be one of the first ones, but I don’t think I could advise anybody on anything."
   He makes no guess at how long he will continue to play.
   "Well, 86 is up there," he said. "I like being around people. You just do what you can do."
   No matter what Mr. Paul says, he’s done plenty already.