This begins with Lenny's solo on "Sunny". It's as if Lenny is hanging a gossamer web across the changes, a delicate thread that tells an intricate story too subtle for words. In the harmonics section, his voice becomes almost a  whisper, pulling one into the music, sharing a confidence that seems intended for each listener alone. Then the verse/theme and into a cool 2 chord vamp to end the song.  

This is from some reel-to-reel tapes I recorded of Lenny, live in Nashville. One of these reels contains a set from a winter night in 1976, one that holds some special memories for me. As the reels are old, some of the tape has become damaged and I have had to do some rather extreme edits.

Lenny usually played solo, duo (with bass), or trio (bass & drums) and seldom with piano or guitar (or other melodic/harmonic instrument), as this allowed him the freedom to explore the full range of his phenomenal approach and vision. But on this night, he played one set with the accompaniment of another guitar. Also, the music is unique in that Lenny is playing mostly single-lines, and his solos here are extraordinary, so much so that each time I listen I'm intrigued anew, even after listening countless times. 


"Sunny" Lenny Breau live-1976

Here's another one from the lost/found reel. 'Cherokee' has been covered so many times and ways that it seems nothing more could be done. But Lenny breathes new life into it, while taking us on a ride through the past, with nods to Django, Jimmy Bryant, Bird and more... but it's all Lenny; and again, with Bucky Barrett playing excellent accompaniment throughout.  
It opens with Bucky playing the theme, chord/melody, and Lenny adding a bit of counter-rhythm. Then dig the bass lines Lenny breaks into on the bridge! It's a real joy to hear- so clean and... well, right! I had to do an edit at end of the bridge, but it comes back in for the solo. Lenny's solo here literally makes my pulse race. Bucky pushes things along at a brisk pace, playing straight 4, perfect for this setting as it allows Lenny to mix things up rhythmically and go wherever he wants to go, as only Lenny can. 
 As on 'Sunny', what is so extraordinary is the extremely light touch Lenny employs. He plays very softly (right hand/nails) striking the strings very lightly and turning the volume up on the amp to get the right balance. I recall when he showed me this it was a revelation of sorts (one of many). It allows playing very fast tempos with such precision and clarity and it seems to enable or generate unique phrasing. Also, much of what Lenny does with this approach (and in general) involves using the left hand to a great extent: hammers, pulls and other flamenco techniques that work so beautifully in tandem with the light touch of the right hand. 
Lenny's solo is followed by the theme and some nice interplay between the two guitars for another chorus, then a classic Lenny ending or coda. I love these kind of progressions and I covered a couple in the last chapter of the book. Lenny played so many variations and this is one he showed me as well, so I'll take a moment to pass it along, for anyone interested. 
One thing that is common to all of these progressions (at least those I learned) is keeping a common tone on top, throughout the progression, or until the final resolution. Here the common note on top is a Bflat (tonic). Lenny begins the progression a tri-tone (flat5) from the tonic, then he moves the chords through the cycle of 5ths, until the last 3 changes. This movement refers to the roots of the chords, the quality and chord types vary.
More traditionally, this kind of thing uses all dominant-type chords, altered of course, but Lenny used all kinds:  major, minor, dominant, etc, depending on voice-leading and other factors. So here, to begin the progression Lenny plays an Eminor7/flat5 chord: a good chord choice because it contains the common tone needed (Bflat, which is the flat5th of Emin7/flat5) and can be voiced on top. The rest of the chords all have the Bflat note voiced on top, except for the final chord, resolving back to tonic. The full progression goes thus: Emin7/flat5 - A13flat9 - D7#9#5 - G13#9 - F#/13 - Bmaj13 - Bflat/maj9.
So, as Lenny used to say, here's "one of them". 
Having gone on far longer than I intended I'll leave it at that. More songs to come from this lost/found reel and eventually some from my journal notes from that night. Hope everyone digs this as much as I do myself. Thanks, Stephen 


'CHEROKEE' Lenny Breau live- 1976

This is another selection from the lost/found reel, and from the same night and set as 'Sunny' and 'Cherokee' which I posted previously. As I wrote before, it was a special night in so many ways and, as on the other songs from the set, Lenny is in great form. I had to make one edit but otherwise the recording is intact.

I've heard Lenny play this tune countless times, but never quite like this. Of course he always played a tune differently each time, and this is certainly true in this case. 
His playing here has a uniquely lyrical quality that is such a delight, his phrasing so distinctive and fluid. Lenny's  harmonic sense is always profound and innovative but seldom has his melodic invention been more alive and seemingly effortless than on this night, set, and particularly this song (although this is true of the entire set). And again Lenny employs a very light touch, even when playing the more vigorous passages, which, along with his use of hammers, pulls and other flamenco techniques, gives such a distinctive character to his single line phrasing: unmistakably Lenny.  


He is accompanied again by Bucky Barrett on guitar, who provides fine support: subtle but solid and exactly what Lenny needs here. The tune begins with Lenny playing the theme alone; in a wistful, reflective mood and out of time or rubato, but when Bucky comes in playing rhythm (straight fours) the feel changes and things pick up as Lenny again states the melody... then into his solo. 

Even though there are a couple of slight flaws along the way they pass unnoticed as the overall solo is so captivating and engaging, like a conversation building into a story that seems familiar but at the same time fresh and new. There are brief homages to Django and Bird, etc, but the tale is Lenny's alone. Finally Lenny drops down an octave for a short coda, returning to the wistful mood of the beginning, thus coming full-circle, and finishing with an     Amin/maj7 voicing, embellished beautifully by both guitarists with flurries of notes sounding like the last leaves of autumn caught by the wind and carried away. 

It may seem like a strange reference, but at times during Lenny's solo I'm somehow reminded of pianist Roland Hannah's playing, the solid melodic ideas and motifs that seem almost epic at times. 

Lenny's playing this night is particularly remarkable to me because, at this point in time, he didn't entirely have his playing at the high level he had before and would have again. This was still early days in his move to Nashville and he was gradually getting it together, but hadn't totally yet. However, during the journey/process there were times, like on this occasion, when he would break through and get there and these became more and more frequent over time, until finally he surpassed even his former heights of excellence. But at this period (1976-77 or so) he wasn't yet playing at that higher level as consistently. 

I was spending a lot of time with Lenny during this period so I was aware of this, and since he was playing out a lot, this evolution took place in public as well. Other recordings from this period may help demonstrate what I'm saying; in any case I believe it's clear to hear that this winter night at Mississippi Whiskers was one of those high points, and very special indeed. This is not to say Lenny wasn't playing well on other nights and tapes from that time, just that I feel this is exceptional. And from reading in the journal I found with the reel (actually just a cheap notebook I wrote in) it seems that Lenny felt this too. 

From my journal: "... after first set Lenny said he felt like it all came together...god he's so happy, the look on his face, so up... me too.. much joy all 'round... whata nite". Well, it's sorta scribbled and hard for even me to read after so many years, but that's what I wrote that night (or next day probably). There is more interesting stuff in this rough journal concerning that night which I'll try to post at some point. 

Anyway, the music Lenny played that night (particularly this set) has had a big influence on my playing, especially single lines, and Lenny's solo here on 'Autumn Leaves' made perhaps the biggest impression. I learned the entire solo, not to perform it, verbatim or otherwise, but simply because I love it so much. 

So, I'm truly happy to share another song from the reel I recently recovered. 'Autumn Leaves' is definitely "one of them".



Autumn Leaves-Lenny live-1976

"Lenny Breau live: Flamenco-around the globe"
 I recorded this in Nashville, winter 1976. It is on the same lost/found reel as the songs I've posted previously (Sonny, Cherokee, Autumn Leaves). On that special night Lenny also did a short solo set on nylon string. The very beginning of Lenny's spoken intro here is cut off but it is immediately clear that the 'he' Lenny is referring to is John Coltrane. Lenny had told me this anecdote before and he used to do this live occasionally, as he does here but always quite differently of course. 

Nylon string guitar is more of a challenge to record, especially the subtle nuances and shifting dynamics that Lenny often employed. The worst thing for me was dealing with crowd noise. This was true at any time Lenny was playing but especially during an inspired performance with the subtleties and range of dynamics of this one. I recall that as he began this piece I actually went around to tables that were at all noisy, quietly asking for silence; I even removed a cocktail glass in which a girl was clinking ice- it was as loud as Lenny's delicate opening notes so I couldn't resist, and fortunately she was cool about it (didn't attack me anyway). Well apparently I got the point across and the crowd was very attentive (as it should be) so on the recording Lenny's performance comes through with all it's subtle beauty and intense storms. Stephen Anderson

Lenny Breau live: Flamenco-around the globe

This is something a bit different from Lenny. Like most jazz players, Lenny usually improvised on a structure, a song form or any set of changes. But here he is into a much more spontaneous improvisation, with no overall  predetermined structure or set of changes. He still employs his own unique vocabulary (which is vast) and we hear some signature motifs, but even these are altered in subtle or sometimes more extreme ways, as if Lenny is searching for something more. And he travels to some totally unexplored territory as well, with an almost urgent energy, and the delight of discovery that he thrived on. This is not what you would call 'free' improv in the strict sense (that is, free of all 'rules' of harmony, rhythm, etc.) but Lenny's ideas, techniques and especially feelings, flow with a freedom here that is unique and exciting... like a journey of a thousand miles in a few minutes.    Stephen Anderson


Improvisation Toronto- Lenny Breau live

‘Batucada’ is a song by the great Brazilian guitarist & composer Luiz Bonfá. I’ve played this song for many years and usually quite differently than on this version, with more of Bonfá’s Brazilian feel and percussive style of traditional Batucada, whereas this version has an almost gypsy feel and energy at times, in the improv anyway. It was quite unintentional as far as I can recall and I suppose I just went with it. There is a nod* or two to Lenny, who taught me the song, and even to Django, unlikely as it may seem on a cousin of the samba. Anyway, the sound quality of the recording isn’t so good but hopefully the music/energy comes through.
(*an appropriate term, as it happens)

'Batucada' by Stephen Anderson

I have recorded this song several times through the years, on CD, live, etc, but this version is quite different. I wrote it long ago for someone very dear to me… Melody Breau. She died just last year, far too young, but for me she lives still in this song. This version is unique in several ways from others I’ve done. It’s the only time Mel was with me when I recorded it, during a break in a session for my band Actuel.  Since Melody was there, I began playing the tune and they just rolled tape, so I played it through, then immediately played a second part as an overdub. I was playing a Telecaster and hadn’t considered doing this, but went with it, for her mostly. The session resumed shortly & I’m sure this track would have been lost but the engineer gave me a cassette mix.. and this is it. In fact it was lost for many years and I found it shortly after I learned of Mel’s death. It’s from that old cassette so the sound quality isn’t great but I wanted to post it, as it’s such different version and holds a special memory for me.

Melody's Lullaby- lost version

This is a song that I’ve always loved and was actually the first standard I learned from Lenny, so it has special meaning for me. Somewhere I still have the chart & notes Lenny wrote out (1976) and I have a few recordings he did of it over the years. I recorded some of them and a couple or more were sent to me or I discovered. This is one that I believe was sent to me, I’m not certain. This is so beautiful and moving plus, more than any other recording of the tune that I’ve heard, this possesses the feel and even some of the voicings, ideas, etc, that Lenny was exploring when he showed it to me (and much more). Not long after we met I brought over one of my favorite records, ‘Bill Evans Alone’. Lenny knew it of course and we listened to it countless times. ‘Here’s That Rainy Day’ is on that record, perhaps my favorite version of the tune ever, and I recall the image of Lenny bent over the cheap little turntable, listening and working things out. In this performance some of those ideas emerge in Lenny’s playing, although totally spontaneously and uncontrived, and it evokes a depth of emotion that only Lenny could convey. So I wanted to share this here.  Stephen Anderson

Here'sThatRainyDay - Lenny Live 1984

This is for Emily Hughes- birthday 2015:
I recall when your dad Lenny first told me about you and how much he missed you. Little did he or I know that many years later we would meet and become friends: it would have meant a great deal to him and he would be so proud of the wonderful person you have become. Here is a recording I made of Lenny playing his favorite waltz, with an introduction for you…. on your birthday. sda
p.s. the photo is on Lenny's birthday- seemed appropriate.

Emily- Lenny Live

Lenny wrote this song for his father, when he died in 1977.
This is one of Lenny’s original compositions that has probably not been heard very often. Unfortunately the same can be said about most of his originals. He didn’t even record some of his original pieces (for release) and we have only some live versions, and very few of those because he seldom performed any of them. Fortunately this tune made it onto an LP, a Buddy Spicher LP called, "Buddy Spicher and Friends-Yesterday and Today” (where it is titled simply ‘I Remember’) and it’s a wonderful version, but although I recall him playing it live occasionally right after it was written, I don’t remember him ever playing it after that. I learned some of it when he was writing it, from watching & listening and he showed me some parts as they came together, but that was on solo guitar and very different from the ensemble version here on the Spicher LP, although the changes were the same and to a degree, the arrangement as well. Clearly since Lenny is playing in an ensemble setting here, his approach is very different than it would be if playing solo or with trio, but as always his playing is so right for the situation. He plays with great economy, every note perfectly balanced and conveying such depth of emotion. Everyone plays beautifully here, very understated but right, allowing the song itself to shine.    Stephen Anderson

I Remember (Lone Pine)- Lenny Breau

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town/Blues in Bb- Lenny live"
Here’s another one I found on an old reel. I was looking for a version of Lenny playing this tune to post, sort of a holiday treat. He didn’t play it that often but I recall several times he did, however it looks like this is the only recording I made of it, although I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else has a version. This one is cool as Lenny was in high spirits, joking around a lot, so I didn’t edit out the talking; hearing his voice brings back this night so clearly. It’s funny as hell… his introduction of the players and especially when he introduces himself, well you will hear it. 
I taped this on same machine we borrowed on that classic winter night that I told about previously and posted some songs from. This is also from winter 1976-77 in Nashville but a different night. They played this at end of a set so they did a short break tune, Blues in Bb, so I left it on as well. Gene Autry never sounded like this before!    Stephen Anderson

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Lenny Live

'flamenco and other memories'- Stephen Anderson: guitar
A few days ago I was sitting in my living room looking out the window at the spectacular snowscape and my thoughts went back to a similar time of heavy snowfall here in Nashville when I was with Lenny and he was such an important part of my life (and he remains so today). As I recall, we had been up all night in his little apartment, snow had been falling for several hours and daybreak wasn’t far away. As usual we were listening to music and playing guitars, mostly Lenny was playing and I was listening and absorbing. I had figured out some of his wonderful flamenco-inspired music on the RCA records, but very little and I played a bit of it (not very well I’m sure). This led, as it often did in such situations, to Lenny playing and teaching me some of the flamenco things I was most intrigued with, as several more hours passed while snow continued to pile up outside. I’m not a traditional flamenco player by any means and most of what I know is what Lenny showed me, and my own improvisations on some basic forms. Over the years Lenny showed me other flamenco motifs and techniques, which I’ve also incorporated into my playing, but what I learned that day remains most vivid in my mind and when a big snow comes (rarely these days) it often evokes that time long ago. Such was the case on Saturday (1/23/16) and so I played and improvised on some of the motifs I first learned from Lenny, along with some other things that are not flamenco at all. I certainly had no plan or intention to record it, but my iPhone was lying on a table nearby and I hit ‘voice memo’… hardly high end recording!  I would never expect to share anything recorded in such a way but there is a certain energy & spontaneity here that is often difficult to capture when there is even the slightest anticipation involved or the conscious attempt to perform at a high level. Certainly neither were present when I played this and there are flaws and loose technique, but somehow it comes through in a fresh way; perhaps it’s due to my mind-set: careless of all but the treasured memory of the music, the snow… and Lenny.


flamenco and other memories

This is a piece by Agustín Barrios Mangoré, also known as Agustín Pío Barrios, a Paraguayan classical guitarist and composer. This is a wonderful and deceptively simple little waltz. The story behind it is charming and well worth looking into (the title translates to ‘The Sleep of the Little Doll’) but for me it has a more personal one as well. It was one of my mother’s favorites and I often played it for her. She had taught me my first chords on guitar at age 8 and as I sat by her bed in her final moments on this earth, I did all I knew to do: I got my guitar and I played… until the last vibrations of the strings merged with the sound of her breathing, and together faded and passed away. This is the piece I played and needless to say it was a profound experience for me, and one that I didn’t expect to share here, but I wanted to do so in her memory. It’s my hope that this brought her a sense of peace, knowing that the music and I were there to accompany her on her journey.   Stephen Anderson

El Sueño de la Muñequita

"All the Things You Are- Lenny live"
I recall the night very well, it’s in Nashville, 1976 or 77 I think. I thought I had taped it but wasn’t sure until a couple of days ago when I found this old cassette tape. The tape case says ’12-5’ so it was December 5th but I didn’t write the year. Anyway it’s a night I’ll never forget, not that it’s Lenny at his very best nor with his ideal rhythm section, but it was an interesting night, as I’ll explain, and there was some great playing, especially on the first tune, which I’m posting; and things got a bit crazy as the night progressed.
 
Several people began arriving, among them Jimmy Bryant. I think it was the first night he had come and it’s when I first met him. I knew of him mostly from the stuff he did with Speedy West, but I got to know him later and found out he had a bit of a thing about not digging fingerstyle players in general, silly really, but Lenny changed his mind for sure on that score. Another guitarist that showed up that night was Bill Lawrence. I only knew about his pick-ups, which were known world-wide, but he was also a jazz guitarist, somewhat in Django’s style. Well, others came in as well and all kinds of folks ended up sitting in, which didn’t usually happen. 

Of course Lenny preferred a solo setting, or duo (w/bass) or trio (bass/drums) and having other instruments mostly got in his way, but this night was mostly about just having a good time, with Lenny laughing a great deal, along with us all. As the night went on things got pretty loose and at one point onstage all at once were Jimmy Bryant (but on fiddle!), Bill Lawrence, and Lenny along with his rhythm section that night: Dick Cotten on bass, Bucky Barrett-guitar and I think it was Bob Mater on drums. So that was a trip and admittedly everyone was drinking too much, including Lenny, which usually screwed with his playing and could be distressing, but on this particular occasion it didn’t matter so much, as the night wasn’t as much about serious playing as having a blast with old & new friends. 

Actually the first couple of tunes have some wonderful playing, before things got too far gone. I’m posting one of these, ‘All the Things You Are’, which is Lenny with just the rhythm section I mentioned. I’ve heard him play this countless times and he always does some exciting stuff. For me a real highlight of this version is the fast right hand pattern he begins & maintains (with variations) moving it through the changes. It’s one of the three-finger picking patterns he often used for single lines (like p-m-i-p-m-i-p… etc, with different variations). It allows you to play very fast and also very clean. It’s a real delight here, as is all his phrasing throughout!

*The old cassette is in surprisingly good condition with one exception: please excuse. Around 5:20 I had to do an edit due to drop out, I did my best & hopefully it isn’t too distracting.

Well, I’ll try to post some other songs from this night, but for now here is ‘All the Things You Are’  (or as Lenny jokes, ‘You Are All the Things’) from an old lost&found tape; and as Lenny used to say, it’s “one of them”.    Stephen Anderson


All The Things You Are - Lenny live

Here’s another one I taped at Miss Whiskers on the same night as the last tune I posted (“All the Things You Are”) from the ’red cassette’; a little gem. The tape is around 40 years old so please excuse some edits I had to do to remove a glitch or two. This was earlier in the night and set, as you can hear Lenny ask, “is our drummer here yet?” So it’s Lenny, w/ Richard on bass, with Jimmy Bryant, Bill Lawrence and others in the audience and things not chaotic yet. Lenny was in good spirits and having some fun. I recall him doing this tune more during these early days (1976-77) than later on, but forgot I had it on tape, so I was especially happy to find it… especially with Lenny singing! Anyway… a little treat: “On the Sunny Side of the Street”.

On The Sunny Side of the Street-Lenny Breau live

Finally it looks as if Fall has arrived… or will do so soon. So here’s an appropriate tune, ‘Autumn Leaves’. I posted this awhile back but on a private page, so figured I would post it here, in response to this very welcome change of seasons.
The previous posting was on Lenny’s birthday, as it’s inspired by one of my favorite live performances Lenny did of this tune, a duo (2 guitars). I recorded the rhythm guitar part and then did an overdub, playing a good deal of Lenny’s solo note-for-note, with my own improv as well. It’s a fairly old recording so please excuse the sound quality, but hopefully the essence is intact.  SDA

SDA for Lenny

Autumn Leaves-by SDA

Don't Think Twice-Lenny live 1976
I recently discovered more tapes from right around the time I met Lenny Breau in 1976. These were taped in Nashville at Irelands & Mississippi Whiskers. This is from one such tape, taped by my friend Barney Evers, a bass player I played with off & on for many years, and who introduced Lenny to Cindi Shubert (I think she spells it Sinde now). At this point Lenny was really just starting to get his playing back together, sometimes he was totally on & phenomenal but sometimes not (usually when he was drinking too much). In the following years he not only reached his former highest level but surpassed it, always moving forward. Well this is not news to anyone here, my point being that on the night that this was recorded, Lenny definitely had it together. It’s from an old cassette so the audio quality is not perfect but is actually quite good except for the fact that the recording levels were far too hot, so that when put into digital format there was a great deal of clipping. So I worked with it a lot & fixed as much as I could. But the playing is wonderful, with Lenny’s delightful imagination and humor shining through. I’ll post more from this set soon as I can.  Stephen Anderson

Lenny live

Don't Think Twice-Lenny live 1976

This is another selection from the lost/found reel I recorded in Nashville, Winter 1976. It’s from the same night and set as 'Sunny’, ‘Cherokee' and ‘Autumn Leaves’, which I posted previously. As I wrote before, it was a special night in so many ways and I’m glad I managed to record it. Unfortunately the tapes are old and damaged in places and this is the case here. It cuts out before Lenny finishes a cool solo, so I had to fade-out. I apologize for the flaw, it’s a drag but I figured folks would still dig to hear what survived. I’ve heard Lenny play this tune many times and always different. I think my favorite version is still Lenny with bassist Dave Young (on the Live at Bourbon St. CD) but I love hearing them all.
Anyway, I wrote a good deal about this night when I posted the songs I just mentioned, so I won’t go into a lot here. Lenny is joined by Bucky Barrett, mostly on rhythm guitar, and Lenny was playing one of Bucky’s guitars, a beautiful Gibson semi-hollow body. I believe it was a 345 or 355, and had one of the best tones Lenny got in those days. It was before he had the Holmes electric, in fact he really had only a nylon string guitar, maybe a couple, including a Dauphin nylon 7-string. I think he had lost the cheap Electra electric he had previously, so he generally borrowed an electric from Bucky or Dick Cotten. Well, point being, for me this guitar had the best tone of any he played then.  Anyway, I’m still putting together things from my tapes and will post more when I can. all best,  Stephen

‘Summertime’ Lenny live, Winter 1976

I wanted to post something special for Lenny’s birthday. This is one of the first things I heard him play live, I think he played it at the club the first night I met him. I had never heard it before and at that time I had heard only the 2 RCA records. As far as I know there were no other recordings available, not in Nashville anyway, and even those 2 records were out of print of course. Anyway, I was intrigued by it and got Lenny to show it to me and I still play it just as he showed me, although I’ve found some variations since. All that I recall Lenny telling me about the piece is that it was based on some Arabian things and he learned some of it from a Sabicas record, but also other sources; and I suspected one of those was himself, filtered through his boundless imagination and vision. Well, I was never clear on it at the time & really I was more interested in the music itself than it’s background. During the years since Lenny passed several records have been released and on one I was delighted to find a song that is very similar to Dance of Death, with some of the same passages, but also without some of the cool motifs in D of D. It came as a very pleasant surprise because I knew nothing of it and didn’t recognize the title at the time, but there were some of the passages from piece I learned from Lenny as Dance of Death. Most folks here are probably familiar with it, a song titled ‘Arabian Fantasy’ on ‘The Hallmark Sessions’ record. So after discovering that title I soon learned that much of it is indeed from a piece on a Sabicas record called ‘Fantasia Arabe’ or ‘Arabian Fantasy’. I had listened to Sabicas of course, thanks to Lenny mostly, and my brother lived in Spain for some years and had sent me a Sabicas record when I was around 8 or 9, which blew me away & I treasured, I recall it was actually a 45 rpm record. But I had never heard that Sabicas piece before (although I have it now). But where Lenny got the ‘Dance of Death’ title, motifs and story I don’t know. As he explains in the intro it’s about a man about to be executed and it conveys the drama involved. He doesn’t tell all of it on here but many times when he would play it, he explained about the final sound effect he makes.… a drum roll, as sometimes was played during the doomed man’s final seconds, leading up to the report of the firing squad’s guns. The way Lenny did it is that he would pull the bass strings all the way off of the fretboard, like onto the side of the neck, and do a fast downward flick of the right hand fingers (all nail) known as rasgueado in flamenco music, or one of the several types of rasgeo, that is. Unfortunately this recording cuts off right before the very end so the final gunshot is missing. For that  Lenny made a loud slap on the soundboard, to simulate the shot. I wish it wasn’t missing but it’s great to have this almost entirely intact. 
He played this piece often back then but only for a few months or so and after that very seldom. I was sure I had it on a tape but could never find it on any I made, nor on any others, until a few months ago an old friend gave me a cassette recording he had made and there it was! As it’s from an old cassette, so the sound quality isn’t great but I cleaned it up the best I could. So in honor of Lenny’s birthday here’s Dance of Death (aka Arabian Fantasy a la Lenny).  Stephen Anderson

Dance of Death- Lenny live

Someday My Prince Will Come- Lenny live
Found this recently on an old reel-to-reel tape. Recorded by my friend & fellow musician, bassist Barney Evers, in Nashville at Mississippi Whiskers, I'm not sure of the date. Lenny is in fine form and high spirits and his playing is really together. Also, the rhythm section is giving him exactly the kind of support that allowed him to go places that weren’t possible with a less sympathetic section. This is largely due to the drummer. Lenny played with some fine drummers here but few that I felt were able to really listen and flow with Lenny, and to anticipate the directions he loved to go. Partly it is rhythmic playing with subtle pulse, without dictating the groove so much, not pushing too aggressively. Some players respond to this kind of thing but Lenny needed something quite different, and the drummer on this tape, Marty Canfield, is right where he needs to be, at least on the part I’ve heard so far. 
On bass is Richard Cotten, who played with Lenny very often, but never with the kind of feel that he does here and on some of the other tunes on this reel, I don't think. Richard was really a guitarist & mostly only played bass occasionally with Lenny, for support. But he knew the changes on countless songs and was always solid. But on this night he is playing better than I recall before at Mississippi Whiskers. 
So this was an exciting discovery, especially when I thought I had found all the tapes made here during those times, by myself and others. This first song I’m posting is, “Someday My Prince Will Come”. Another special & unique thing about this tape is that Lenny seldom played this song. I have heard him play it at home but I don’t remember any other recordings he did of it, live or studio. He may have done but I cannot recall it. He plays it here with such a range of dynamics and some of the feel and changes that Bill Evans' employed when exploring this tune. I’ll try to post more from the reel in future. Stephen Anderson

SomedayMyPrinceWillCome-Lenny live

"Disney Medley". Tony this is for you. From a series of backing tracks done for a live show, Christmas 1988 ( The Present on 12/18/88). Found on an old cassette tape so the sound quality not great but it evokes a fun time, early 12th & Porter. Tony Crow on keyboards, Stephen Anderson on guitar

Present inst backing tracks

Disney Medley/duo backing trk

Since I’ve been working to archive as many of my recordings as I can, I have occasionally posted something here, usually more obscure things, lost or forgotten until now.  
‘Wishsong’ certainly fits this criteria. This is a song I played at the memorial for my friend & mentor Lenny Breau, held at the Bluebird Cafe shortly after his death in 1984, both as a tribute and also to raise money for his funeral. I was already going through a difficult period when I learned of his passing, and was devastated by the news. I didn’t even own an instrument at the time so when I was asked to play, I would have declined had it been for any other reason. 

I managed to borrow an old nylon string guitar and spent the couple of days preceding the memorial playing and listening for something to play for Lenny. I had a piece in-progress and the rest just came to me then and I immediately knew it was what I wanted to play. 

Looking back, it seems I would have played something different, with perhaps more of a jazz feel, but if you are open to the spirit of the moment you cannot contrive it and what you are inspired to create will be right. This is a simple, melodic tune; but for me it captured Lenny’s beautiful, somewhat childlike (but never childish) spirit, his naivety (in the best sense of the word) and so I just went with it.

Arriving at the club I borrowed a guitar, from Richard Cotten, or it may have been John Knowles, both of whom also played that night I believe, and when announced I played a couple of songs. This is one of them: I titled it ‘Wishsong’. I don’t know if the music was recorded that night but a couple of months later I played the tune in a friend’s living room and he made this recording. I was very surprised to find it and because of the memories it invokes, I wanted to share it here.  Stephen Anderson

for Lenny's memorial

Wishsong (sda)

Lenny Breau guitar, Don Thompson bass, Claude Ranger drums
Live in Nashville Feb. 21, 1979
Don Thompson and Claude Ranger were in Nashville to do the Direct-to-Disc session with Lenny on Feb. 22, 1979, and the night before they played a gig at Mississippi Whiskers, a sort of warm up, and just for the opportunity to play. It was very fortunate that they did because the studio session had many problems & never really came together, but the live gig went really well and I was able to record most of it. This is a song from that recording, a John Coltrane blues titled ‘Mr. Knight’ (sometimes misspelled as ’Mr. Night’, as was in fact done on the D to D record). Lenny may not be playing his absolute best here (partly due to Claude’s heavy handed playing) but he does some very exciting things, especially with time, and Don’s playing is always wonderful. The energy in the room was high: explosive you might say, and Lenny made the most of it. Some of the other tunes from that night are perhaps more musically rewarding but this is a real delight to hear and the exuberance is infectious, like Lenny’s laugh, which he did a lot of that night.     Stephen Anderson

Mr. Knight-Lenny,Don,Claude,live

Stephen Anderson: solo guitar
This is a piece by French composer and pianist Erik Satie, a big influence on me for many years. This is a solo piano piece that I adapted for guitar, recorded live at the Frist Center in Nashville. That was an especially nice gig because of the location & space. The first time I played there I was into my first song and suddenly realized I was looking at a Renoir painting… an original of course! There was also a Van Gogh and paintings by other wonderful artists. It was an amazing feeling, to be playing in the company of these great works, quite a change from the usual scenario at gigs.

Zoom recordings

First Gnossienne (satie) sda-live

I chose to post this tune ‘Laura’ because it is very unique in several ways: one being that the great pedal steel player Curly Chalker was in the audience and Lenny dedicates the tune to him. Beginning in a very subtle mood, Lenny’s playing is quite understated for most of the tune. Towards the end he plays a kind of chord solo as a tribute to Chalker (although it brings Wes to mind as well), ending with a couple of subtle slurs, like the slide of the bar or a pedal on a steel, and then his unmistakable laugh and ‘yeah’.
   I went with Lenny to hear Chalker play a couple of times in Nashville, I think it was at a place called the Hall of Fame Lounge. We talked with him after the set and he seemed in bad health but he played great. Anyway, Chalker sure dug Lenny’s playing & he came to hear him more than once.
   Another unique aspect to this recording is that I have never heard Lenny play this song, neither in person nor on any of the countless recordings I have or have heard. I have always loved the tune, I think because it’s from one of my favorite old films,”Laura” (1944), for which it was written. It certainly became a standard and was recorded many times early on but not so much in recent decades. In any case it was cool to find a song I had never heard Lenny play before.
   This was recorded at Mississippi Whiskers, with Richard Cotten on bass and Marty Canfield on drums. Richard was really a guitarist but played bass occasionally with Lenny, for support. He knew the changes on countless songs and was always solid but seldom with the kind of feel that he had on this night, to my ears anyway. This gig may have been the only time Canfield played with Lenny and he does a beautiful job, here and on a couple other tunes on the tape.

Laura-Lenny w/trio live

Hymn (e.a.poe, sda)
I wrote ‘Hymn’ based on the poem of the same name by E.A. Poe. It’s one of his more obscure poems and is actually found within a short story titled ‘Morella’. I didn’t realize, until I had written and recorded it, that the version I used includes lines that were removed from publication long ago & only exist in old manuscripts and volumes, one of which I had and used when writing the song.
Stephen Anderson: vocals & guitars

Distant Voices

‘HYMN’ by SDAnderson

Here’s something quite different from Lenny, a real treat. I taped this in 1977 at the Exit/In in Nashville. Lenny opened for Larry Coryell and then after Larry had played a set he asked Lenny to come up & join him. It was a packed house and of course they had not planned anything, much less rehearsed, so it was totally impromptu. I recall a lot from that night, especially that they both had a blast. I remember that Lenny had a huge smile on his face the entire set and Larry was even more animated than usual, and they both laughed a lot. I taped this on a small cassette machine and recently rediscovered the tapes. So here is a selection from that memorable night… call it a tour de force, because it surely is!  Stephen Anderson

Breau and Coryell at Exit/in

LennyBreau&LarryCoryell live 1977

You could hardly find two players more different in their approach than Lenny Breau and Larry Coryell, but they found common ground and had big fun doing it. For sure it’s frantic at times and very different from Lenny’s classic approach but it’s a real kick to hear him blow into Larry’s Django-esque style and beyond, and it shows how incredibly intuitive and adventurous Lenny could be. I think what I recall most from that evening is the pure joy they both took from the experience, pushing things further with every chorus, often surprising the audience as well as themselves.
They had never played together and, if memory serves, this gig was supposed to be solo sets, Lenny opening for Coryell. But Larry asked Lenny to do a set together and they spent a few minutes between sets just to decide on a few tunes… and that was it, about as spontaneous as you can get. 
Anyway, it was unique in so many ways, not just the music. Like at one point in their set when Lenny was really on, Larry suddenly stood up, dramatically leaving the stage & sitting down in a chair up front (it was a performance in itself) throwing up his hands in feigned exasperation and saying something like ‘send in the calvary’! It was a trip & funny as hell, but with total respect for Lenny, who hardly noticed, as he was totally into his thing. In just a minute or two Larry rejoined Lenny and they continued their musical adventure. 
So here they are, at the Exit/In in Nashville, exploring Django’s classic tune, ‘Nuages’.     Stephen Anderson

Breau and Coryell at Exit/In

Nuages-Lenny & Larry live 1977

Stephen Anderson: guitars, composition; Todd Gerber: tape loop; Matt Swanson: bass. An unreleased Port of Saints track, not on the CD.

Port of Saints (unreleased)

Susanna Bathing (remix)- Port of Saints

This is one of my very favorite songs that Lenny played quite often, especially in the last few years. For me, his playing of this tune often evoked such deep sadness but with a delicate and wistful beauty, although here he moves it into different directions. It’s one that he played so many different ways, as he did with most tunes, and this live version is no exception. I have 3 or 4 recordings of it, and my favorite is a duo performance with Lenny & Don Thompson on bass, recorded live in Toronto, April 1981. I posted it here some time ago so I suppose it’s still here. But I wanted to post this version because it is so different and what Lenny does with time is a real gas, as well as many other aspects that are… well, Lenny. When he was in this mode I used to say it was Lenny on safari.. in the wild! The trio here consists of Ted Hawk on drums and Paul Gormley on bass. It was recorded at Dontes on June 4, 1984 by guitarist Phil deGruy.

Lenny live at Dontes 6/4/84

I Fall in Love Too Easily (Lenny live/1984)

This took placein September, 1980, Nashville, TN : a performance, a sonic journey, an assault, a plunge into uncharted territory. The band: Actuals. The music of the band in general was always difficult to describe; but this piece, and especially this particular performance, is truly unprecedented and beyond the scope of any genre. Perhaps the most accurate (if inadequate)description is to say that it is 'insanely original'. The little club (Phranks 'n Steins) was packed to overflowing and charged with an energy only possible at that time and place. As the music progressed, people in the crowd were yelling, screaming, at times even crying. Especially strange are points of interaction between the music and sounds from the crowd, for instance toward the end the guitar can be heard mimicking yells from someone in the crowd and similar occurrences with the keyboard. Among the audience were the members of a little- known band called REM, who were also playing that night. All this, and many other factors made for a very unique and special event, one of the most singular and intense performances of this, or perhaps any other, period in Nashville, however obscure and lost in time. Now the music is found and finally presented here. Stephen Anderson: guitars, Robb Earls: keyboards, Gary Rabasca: bass, John Elliot: drums, drum machine

Telerian

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