Lenny Breau Bio. - DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate

**gomosopions** · 01-11-2009, 07:41 PM

By incredible coincidence my neighbor two doors down here in New Orleans is from Winnipeg, and she's lent me her copy of Ron Forbes-Roberts' bio on Lenny Breau, "One Long Tune."

Aside from being an inciteful and sympathetic portrait of the man, it's written by a musician, so the descriptions of the technical aspects of Lenny's playing are very enlightening without descending too far into technospeak. The book is also populated with folks who will be very familiar to people on the Vancouver scene, like Gary Koliger, Claude Ranger, Al Weirtz, Dan Casavant, and Doug Riley.

I found Lenny's experiences playing with Claude very interesting. Lenny apparently found Claude's busy style and aggressive pocket somewhat confining, and exhausting to play with. I played with Claude quite a bit in the mid-nineties, and while it was always a great experience, it often left me pooped and feeling like I'd been battling a heavy surf. Of course I always assumed that was because I sucked.

**ElegeExcest** · 01-12-2009, 04:11 PM

thanks for the quick overview on that book John...i had heard about it, but then forgotten.... i am now quite curious to know if anything was said about his playing with Al!!!!!

**gomosopions** · 01-12-2009, 04:23 PM

Yeah Al could be a little heavy handed too (kind of like playing with Elvin Jones version 2.0 :-P)

Al is mentioned as being on Lenny's 1974 gig at the Nucleus, and there are quotes from a favorable review. On a return date a few months later Breau fired Weirtz on the second night, and Bassist Billy Meryll on the third.

Claude doesnt fare much better. On a recording date in Nashville he and Lenny both wind up getting shitfaced, ( in what proved to be a major tactical error,the producers had brought in a bunch of beer to 'relax' the musicians) and a few years later Lenny fires Claude in the middle of a gig at Bourbon Street in Toronto and replaces him with Terry Clark.

**jhfkgkfdvjk** · 01-13-2009, 07:07 PM

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**gomosopions** · 01-25-2009, 07:48 PM

Lazz wrote:

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**sposteTipsKage** · 01-26-2009, 03:13 AM

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**gomosopions** · 01-26-2009, 01:42 PM

Brian Nation wrote:

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**jhfkgkfdvjk** · 01-26-2009, 07:29 PM

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**gomosopions** · 03-19-2009, 07:49 PM

Brian Nation wrote:

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01-11-2009, 07:41 PM	#1
gomosopions Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 467 Senior Member	Lenny Breau Bio. By incredible coincidence my neighbor two doors down here in New Orleans is from Winnipeg, and she's lent me her copy of Ron Forbes-Roberts' bio on Lenny Breau, "One Long Tune." Aside from being an inciteful and sympathetic portrait of the man, it's written by a musician, so the descriptions of the technical aspects of Lenny's playing are very enlightening without descending too far into technospeak. The book is also populated with folks who will be very familiar to people on the Vancouver scene, like Gary Koliger, Claude Ranger, Al Weirtz, Dan Casavant, and Doug Riley. I found Lenny's experiences playing with Claude very interesting. Lenny apparently found Claude's busy style and aggressive pocket somewhat confining, and exhausting to play with. I played with Claude quite a bit in the mid-nineties, and while it was always a great experience, it often left me pooped and feeling like I'd been battling a heavy surf. Of course I always assumed that was because I sucked. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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01-12-2009, 04:11 PM	#2
ElegeExcest Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 430 Senior Member	thanks for the quick overview on that book John...i had heard about it, but then forgotten.... i am now quite curious to know if anything was said about his playing with Al!!!!! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

01-12-2009, 04:23 PM	#3
gomosopions Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 467 Senior Member	Yeah Al could be a little heavy handed too (kind of like playing with Elvin Jones version 2.0 :-P) Al is mentioned as being on Lenny's 1974 gig at the Nucleus, and there are quotes from a favorable review. On a return date a few months later Breau fired Weirtz on the second night, and Bassist Billy Meryll on the third. Claude doesnt fare much better. On a recording date in Nashville he and Lenny both wind up getting shitfaced, ( in what proved to be a major tactical error,the producers had brought in a bunch of beer to 'relax' the musicians) and a few years later Lenny fires Claude in the middle of a gig at Bourbon Street in Toronto and replaces him with Terry Clark. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

01-13-2009, 07:07 PM	#4
jhfkgkfdvjk Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 444 Senior Member	Quote: Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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01-25-2009, 07:48 PM	#5
gomosopions Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 467 Senior Member	Lazz wrote: Quote: Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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01-26-2009, 03:13 AM	#6
sposteTipsKage Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 448 Senior Member	Quote: Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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01-26-2009, 01:42 PM	#7
gomosopions Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 467 Senior Member	Brian Nation wrote: Quote: Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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01-26-2009, 07:29 PM	#8
jhfkgkfdvjk Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 444 Senior Member	Quote: Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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03-19-2009, 07:49 PM	#9
gomosopions Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 467 Senior Member	Brian Nation wrote: Quote: Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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