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

Telerian

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