Whats On

PBS to feature Guitar Legend Les Paul

by frets on Aug.19, 2009, under Inspiration, Whats On

Did this guy have fun or what?

PBS will air American Masters: Chasing Sound, on guitar legend Les Paul next week. Local PBS stations control programming, so check your local listings for specifics. Les died last week at 94.

PBS has a nice tribute to Les on their Web site. The Les Paul American Masters special is also available on DVD.

My first electric guitar was a black and gold Les Paul Custom, and I sure wish I hadn’t sold it. If I can dig up a picture of me playing it, I’ll post it. It was a beauty.

Thank you, Les. Rest in peace.

THE WIZARD OF WAUKESHA
By Dave Tianen
reprinted with permission from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

New York – For decades, arthritis has slowly devoured the talent in Les Paul’s hands.

The right essentially has become a stiff claw. The ring and pinkie are all that is usable on the left, and arthritis is eating away at them.

The right arm is mangled too, permanently bent at a 90 degree angle from a car wreck in 1948. There are seven screws in the arm, and the tendon in the elbow is shot.

Yet he continues to play.

Every Monday night, the great guitarist carries his 92-year-old body and his 44-year-old Gibson onstage at the Iridium Jazz Club at 51st and Broadway. Still introduced as “The Wizard of Waukesha,” he does two shows – one at 8, one at 10 – in the basement nightclub.

Both are packed. Always.

Many, perhaps most, in the crowd weren’t even born in the early ’50s when Paul and his wife Mary Ford were major stars on TV and radio, topping the charts with a succession of hits: “Tennessee Waltz,” “Mockin’ Bird Hill,” “How High the Moon,” “Tiger Rag” and “Vaya Con Dios.”

That music helped define an era, but Paul ignores most of it now, opting instead for the standards he played during his jazz days in the ’30s and ’40s. It matters little.

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Whats On: Aug 16-22

by frets on Aug.15, 2009, under Whats On

A look at the music highlights on cable this week, August 16-22. If I’m missing stuff, especially channels or regular shows, please add it in the comments.

FRETS’ PICKS:

Crossroads “Robert Plant & Alison Krauss” (PLDHD Sun 7pm)
BBC Crown Jewels “Yes” (VH1CL Mon 11am, 11pm)
Classic in Concert “The Beach Boys: Live at Knebworth” (VH1CL Mon 2pm, Thu 4pm)
Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s (PLDHD Fri 7pm)
Hard Rock Calling ‘09 (PLDHD & VH1CL, Fri 9pm & 11pm, Sat 12am & 1pm)
Jeremy Camp & Steven Curtis Chapman on Faith & Fame (GMC Wed 1pm & Fri 1pm)
Pink Floyd goodness and Lots of Elvis…keep reading

EASY TO MISS :

How It’s Made (Science) will feature Pedal Steel Guitars (Mon 2pm), and Loudspeakers (Tue 2:30pm). (continue reading…)

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Whats On: Aug 9-14

by frets on Aug.08, 2009, under Whats On

EDIT 8-10-09: I updated the formatting a bit. I’ll be setting up an RSS feed for this, and streamlining the process.

So much good music is on tv all the time, and I feel like I’m missing it. So I’m still trying to work out how to do this, but the goal is to publish a listing of music-related tv programming for the upcoming week. I’m still working out the kinks. The channel numbers are for my local provider, so unless you have Verizon FIOS in Maryland you can ignore that. I’ve tried to exclude shows that feature music videos, focusing instead on live performances and spotlights on artists.

Sunday, Aug 9, 2009

12:00AM

OVATION The Jimi Hendrix Experience: American Landing – Hendrix advances from sideman to international star; interviews include Chas Chandler, Pete Townsend, Steve Miller. (Special) (ends at 1:00AM)

12:30AM

CMT PURE COUNTRY Studio 330 Sessions – Live performances filmed in CMT’s studio. (Series) (ends at 1:00AM)

1:00AM

OVATION Nine Hundred Nights: Big Brother and the Holding Company – The story of the 1960s rock group that launched the career of Janis Joplin. (Special) (ends at 2:00AM)

GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY Dierks Bentley: Feel That Fire – The country music star’s road trip to Japan. (Special) (ends at 2:00AM)

1:30AM

PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS) Miles Davis: The Sound of Miles Davis – April 2, 1959, Studio 61 in New York, the trumpet player performs with the Gil Evans Orchestra. (Special) (ends at 2:00AM)

2:00AM

PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS) As Time Goes By Reunion Special – (Special) (ends at 4:00AM)

OVATION Sid and Nancy – Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman) of the punk-rock Sex Pistols self-destructs with girlfriend Nancy Spungen (Chloe Webb). (1986) Rated:R (Movie) (ends at 4:00AM)