I'm absolutely in awe. This just makes me want to practice guitar 24 hours a day. Just like Lenny said, I'll always be a student of the guitar. This makes me never want to stop learning new things about this wonderful instrument.
Danny Gatton told me many years ago that Lenny Breau was his hero. I have a bootleg cd of Buddy Emmons, Lenny and Danny playing together. Amazing stuff!
Oh wow his soft touch with the harmonics so gentle and articulate!! His picking hand is fluid and rolling and graceful!!! Great stuff!! I feel like i wasted my time studying all the rock " god" guitarists of the 70s and eighties and should have been learning from the les pauls chet atkins roy clark jerry reads and lenny breus of this world!!!
No time studying is wasted. From an entertainment point of view this type of playing puts people to sleep. Maybe great techniques involved yet for entertainment value its boring. People want to dance and jump around to music. That won't happen with solo jazz guitar playing. Hence jazz is dying. Mostly guitar geeks are into this.
Lenny Breau is truly one of the greatest guitar players ever. Just listen to his harmonics at the 2 minute mark. He was so far ahead of the game at this point, and it was 1966! What a brilliant performance! RIP Lenny
It all depends on what you mean by being so far ahead of the game. If you can imagine what you can play with smaller strings you are looking at right in front of you, as a violinist, you are just starting to see what a violin virtuoso can do.
When Lenny performed Paul’s masterpiece it was still pretty new. Lenny’s interpretation goes deep into McCartney’s musicality, and his guitar conveys those beautiful musical accidents in as unique a voice as any singer could do. As proof of Paul’s ability to transcend generations . . . My Dad hated the Beatles, but one day as we were driving along, McCartney’s ‘Yesterday” came on the radio and to his everlasting credit, my Dad admitted he had been wrong.
He was strangled.His wife was the main suspect but his death remains unsolved. He was off drugs at the time of his death. Should be say NO to marriage.
An old fan of Burns guitars which became Baldwin in 1965 , I think. Totally underated in US but it legendary all through Europe. You might surprise yourself if you sample some recordings from the 60's by The Shadows...
When Lenny performed Paul’s masterpiece it was still pretty new. Lenny’s interpretation goes deep into the McCartney’s musicality, and his guitar conveys as unique a voice as any singer. As proof of the above example of Paul’s ability to transcend generations . . . My Dad hated the Beatles, but one day as we were driving along, McCartney’s ‘Yesterday” came on the radio and to his everlasting credit, my Dad admitted he had been wrong.
I also like the guitar playing of TED GREENE. He only made one album, but it can be downloaded. The album is fantastic solo guitar recorded live in the studio without overdubs. Just a telecaster and a leslie speaker. His use of harmonics is stunning. My favorite piece on that album is "Danny Boy/Londonderry Aire" Like Lenny Breau, he just doesn't sound like many guitarists we are accustomed to hearing. Not famous but fabulous!
Macca should have given the rights of this song to Lenny, after all, he transformed it into a musical journey way way way beyond the original concept. Can't fully express how much I love it.
whats this wish I could get tabs for this? Why do people have to learn everything exactly the same? When I was learning there was no internet. Anything complex I slowed the record down using my index finger turning it. If I had a video I would watch over and over. I figured everything out by ear. I got a lot of things right and some sounded right but were wrong position wise. When it came to some of the Eddie Van Halen techniques I would read interviews or guess which leads to innovation. The learn everything technique and note correct by tab has stopped a lot of creative innovation on the instrument. I am not putting you down at all. Why don't you TRY to learn by ear ? It will improve your sense of pitch. Does it matter about the hand positions so long as it sounds right?
@@HrhFish just came back to listen to this wonderful piece of music, scrolled down and noticed I commented 5 years ago 😅 Saw your comment, look I can play by ear, I am even confident that I am a better player and innovator than you, don't bs me with your psuedo innovation ahaha, like cmon man. At best you're some inspired guitarist with many influences but nothing amazing to show for it. Do you know how I know that? The need to express your superiority complex. The tabs can be important if you're at a level where the smallest of dynamics matter, it's not just a matter of sounding the same, it's more about maintaining the same density of sound that he had in his playing, into yours, which not only has to do with the same chords and notes but also finger tension onto the guitar, especially with this piece, as it's very delicate in regards to its feel, vibe, desnitiy and etc. Why would this be important? Because the way he touches the guitar, the sort of Harmonics, subtlety of the notes he plays, his tone is something I would like to know how to do, so I can expand upon it in my own playing. I am not here to half ass it, getting it to sound somewhat similar, pseudo innovation and etc isn't what I am interested in. For the reasons above.
Couldn't agree more. They were good friends. I'm sure they discussed the workings of the universe on more than one occasion. Such a shame that people like Lenny or Ted have to be uncovered, and the dust blown off. They should be on the tip of everyone's tongue like Hendrix or Clapton. Then again, it makes me wonder how many other hidden musical geniuses are out there just waiting for me to discover their sonic poetry, and that makes me smile.
Check out this album "STANDARD BRANDS" which features the guitar duo of Chet Atkins & Lenny Breau. It is one of the most beautiful records you will ever hear. I have played it thousands of times and never tire of their musical collaboration.
Mention Chet Atkins and a lot of people will say..yeah, I've heard of him. Lenny Breau? No, can't say I've ever heard of him. Who is he? And that's a damm shame!!!
By chance would anyone recognize the guitar that he is playing ?? Not sure what it is!! He was one of the greatest players of all time. He was another one of those quiet geniuses that walked among us, never boasted about his ability, shared his knowledge freely and asked for nothing in return.
I just got off of a forum where there was much discussion over joe bonamassa's GREAT proficiency on the instrument ... this world seems upside down. alot of people dont know what it takes to play certain pieces of music that sound very "ordinary" on the guitar. there are some things that sound very simple but are VERY hard to play and there are things that sound complex and crazy hard that is nothing but "simple" mnemonic mimicry. create create create is all important.. that is all
I ran across one of these one ebay, so I had to find out how they sounded. They weren't worthy of Lenny Breau , but they were interesting. LB could make a plastic ukelele sound brilliant.
The end of the headstock on this guitar was purposefully designed so it could grasped with 2 hands and swung about in a circular fashion in case you were being attacked by Ninja's at every angle. Rumor has it that Jackie Chan had a hand in its development.
@schniggitty1 Um.... underappreciated, yes. Unsung - no. Tons of top-flight musicians have praised him over and over again. Even Chet Atkins - arguably one of the Top Five guitar players of all time - said that Lenny Breau was the greatest guitar player that ever walked the face of the earth. He was IMMENSELY influential especially in the 1960s. He just didn't do much stuff that made to the Top 40: he didn't care about fame, he just wanted to make amazing music! (which he did)
What is the guitar he is playing? Looks similar to an early Godin, or not with that scroll on the headstock. Kirk Sand one off? I note the comment below that is was a Burns/Baldwin. Is it?
The limitations of guitar, (compared to piano),that must be overcome, make it all the more fascinating in the hands of a Breau or a Green: The essential beauty of a harmony must be found; notes that are technically part of one fabric must be brought in & out according to which of them makes the music present its truest face at each particular moment. In that sense ,(with all due respect to the original), I actually prefer Lenny's interpretations of Bill Evans to Evans himself,
@@vestibulate Can't help but bute in here...Totally unknown in US but legendary throughout Europe and the British colonies. I'm coming to you from one of them: Canada. Burns of London became Baldwin in '65. I lost my wi-fi so I'm on another's ph. right now. The point is: you might surprise yourself if you sample a few things by The Shadows on YT. They recorded on Burns '63-'70. This is a mouthful, but a shortcut would be my YT channel: kwambam1...lots of Burns/Baldwin stuff.
I saw Lenny in 1970 at the Le Hibou in Ottawa. He was introduced as : "Here's Lenny Breau and his fabulous 40 fingers"
That was a legendary club! Where all the stars went after playing their gigs for the squares. Including Jimi Hendrix and The Soft Machine.
I'm absolutely in awe. This just makes me want to practice guitar 24 hours a day. Just like Lenny said, I'll always be a student of the guitar. This makes me never want to stop learning new things about this wonderful instrument.
Danny Gatton told me many years ago that Lenny Breau was his hero. I have a bootleg cd of Buddy Emmons, Lenny and Danny playing together. Amazing stuff!
Another reason youtube is awesome. Historically important documents like this one are available to everyone. Thanks for the awesome post!
10 years later and I fully fundamentally agree
This is one of the nicest versions of this song that I have heard. Lenny Breau should be a household name.
He was local for me, and his heroin habit turned a lot of people off. You probably don't see Gordon Lightfoot as being that way.
i used to watch this every single day. looove this video so much
Oh wow his soft touch with the harmonics so gentle and articulate!! His picking hand is fluid and rolling and graceful!!! Great stuff!! I feel like i wasted my time studying all the rock " god" guitarists of the 70s and eighties and should have been learning from the les pauls chet atkins roy clark jerry reads and lenny breus of this world!!!
No time studying is wasted. From an entertainment point of view this type of playing puts people to sleep. Maybe great techniques involved yet for entertainment value its boring. People want to dance and jump around to music. That won't happen with solo jazz guitar playing. Hence jazz is dying. Mostly guitar geeks are into this.
@@FYMASMD People who fall asleep to this have no soul. It doesn't take a guitar geek to enjoy beautiful music
Lenny at 25 years of age.....beyond our universe! Love you brother!!
Lenny Breau is truly one of the greatest guitar players ever. Just listen to his harmonics at the 2 minute mark. He was so far ahead of the game at this point, and it was 1966!
What a brilliant performance!
RIP Lenny
And he is fretting the harmonics with his right hand!
It all depends on what you mean by being so far ahead of the game. If you can imagine what you can play with smaller strings you are looking at right in front of you, as a violinist, you are just starting to see what a violin virtuoso can do.
When Lenny performed Paul’s masterpiece it was still pretty new. Lenny’s interpretation goes deep into McCartney’s musicality, and his guitar conveys those beautiful musical accidents in as unique a voice as any singer could do.
As proof of Paul’s ability to transcend generations . . . My Dad hated the Beatles, but one day as we were driving along, McCartney’s ‘Yesterday” came on the radio and to his everlasting credit, my Dad admitted he had been wrong.
Chet Atkins produced some of Lenny's stuff and called him "the greatest guitarist that ever lived." He was right about that.
yep.
Even Jerry Reed said that.
“. . . that ever walked the face of the earth” was the quote.
humbling. very humbling. that guy quite simply had it all.
This man was a pure genius on guitar - a mind simply beyond 99% of us who play. The word "unique" even fails miserably.......
A true genius who was taken from us much too soon.
Man! was there ever anyone that could integrate that many top drawer techniques and still play the music/ not show off?
Incredible.
That's all he's doing, showing off. It's not about playing dance music.
Lenny Breau was simply amazing--a man completely dedicated to the guitar. Effortless mastery.
Absolutely unique. Brilliant genius...sometimes they are not here for long.
For you Lenny Breau collectors out there- I just discovered a new release - "Lenny Breau LA Bootleg 1984" available at Amazon. Can't wait to hear it!
Gone but far from forgotten. Auburn Maine still loves there native son.
Lenny, you left this world too damn early. You had so much more to give to people who really listen to music (a lost art?) - R.I.P man...
Just say NO to drugs.
He was strangled.His wife was the main suspect but his death remains unsolved. He was off drugs at the time of his death. Should be say NO to marriage.
No one will ever be able to do what Breau did…Pure Magic.
beautiful. can't stop watching this
Oh yeah, They made some cool guitars. They had that scroll on top of the headstock. What a guitar this one is! I've never ever seen one like it.
I am simply in awe of this mans talent. What a damn shame it never had the chance to continue.
I love when it starts swinging...
Thanks for posting this!
I can't get enough Lenny.
Cool Baldwin Virginian guitar, too.
An old fan of Burns guitars which became Baldwin in 1965 , I think. Totally underated in US but it legendary all through Europe. You might surprise yourself if you sample some recordings from the 60's by The Shadows...
Awesome--never heard that before, and tremelo picking on steel strings----wow
When Lenny performed Paul’s masterpiece it was still pretty new. Lenny’s interpretation goes deep into the McCartney’s musicality, and his guitar conveys as unique a voice as any singer.
As proof of the above example of Paul’s ability to transcend generations . . . My Dad hated the Beatles, but one day as we were driving along, McCartney’s ‘Yesterday” came on the radio and to his everlasting credit, my Dad admitted he had been wrong.
Flawless harmonics! You get to a point where you've mastered your instrument that you no longer play the instrument, the instrument plays YOU.
I just heard of him. Sounds like he just sang yesterday with his guitar
I also like the guitar playing of TED GREENE. He only made one album, but it can be downloaded. The album is fantastic solo guitar recorded live in the studio without overdubs. Just a telecaster and a leslie speaker. His use of harmonics is stunning. My favorite piece on that album is "Danny Boy/Londonderry Aire" Like Lenny Breau, he just doesn't sound like many guitarists we are accustomed to hearing. Not famous but fabulous!
Frank Bohan Ted is as unique as Lenny....both big time original players...
A mixture of chopin snd debussy i feel lenny's a genius and those harmonics are next level 😍
My old friend whos past now Salvatore Ditrioa once told me to listen and watch this guy if I wanted to play right and well.
Charlotte Glover your friend was correct.
Just played this on my guitar and cried all the while.
Thanks Lenny.
Blown AWAY !
Cool..hard to find stuff of him live with visual's. Thank's man...
Lenny and Ted are both beyond genius.
Indeed, every I start to think my chops are up to par, I watch a video like this and am humbled
Wow Lenny was doing things back then they are doing in the last 25 years, the consummate guitarist
This is totally excellent.
A beautiful song beautifully played
Wow, I just checked out this album right after I read your comment right now. You sir, have changed my life - Thanks!!
I love Lenny's rendition of The Beatles' "Yesterday". This was a great show!
Flawless and beautiful. Breau died too young. Rest in peace Lenny.
Lenny Breau one of the Best
Macca should have given the rights of this song to Lenny, after all, he transformed it into a musical journey way way way beyond the original concept. Can't fully express how much I love it.
Thanks!!!
Mind Blowing.
Wow, what an art piece of music. Beautiful. There are great guitarists then there is Lenny Breau.
Just beautiful...
I enjoyed that !
I wish i could get tabs for this version sounds amazing i love it
me too
whats this wish I could get tabs for this? Why do people have to learn everything exactly the same? When I was learning there was no internet. Anything complex I slowed the record down using my index finger turning it. If I had a video I would watch over and over. I figured everything out by ear. I got a lot of things right and some sounded right but were wrong position wise. When it came to some of the Eddie Van Halen techniques I would read interviews or guess which leads to innovation. The learn everything technique and note correct by tab has stopped a lot of creative innovation on the instrument. I am not putting you down at all. Why don't you TRY to learn by ear ? It will improve your sense of pitch. Does it matter about the hand positions so long as it sounds right?
@@HrhFish just came back to listen to this wonderful piece of music, scrolled down and noticed I commented 5 years ago 😅
Saw your comment, look I can play by ear, I am even confident that I am a better player and innovator than you, don't bs me with your psuedo innovation ahaha, like cmon man.
At best you're some inspired guitarist with many influences but nothing amazing to show for it. Do you know how I know that? The need to express your superiority complex.
The tabs can be important if you're at a level where the smallest of dynamics matter, it's not just a matter of sounding the same, it's more about maintaining the same density of sound that he had in his playing, into yours, which not only has to do with the same chords and notes but also finger tension onto the guitar, especially with this piece, as it's very delicate in regards to its feel, vibe, desnitiy and etc.
Why would this be important? Because the way he touches the guitar, the sort of Harmonics, subtlety of the notes he plays, his tone is something I would like to know how to do, so I can expand upon it in my own playing.
I am not here to half ass it, getting it to sound somewhat similar, pseudo innovation and etc isn't what I am interested in. For the reasons above.
a true genius of the guitar...no one like him...the harmonics are just...mozart might be jealous...
Best guitar player in his era
thats why lenny soooo great
Chet and Lenny’s album, “Standard Brands” opened my ears in a big way.
beautiful
Couldn't agree more. They were good friends. I'm sure they discussed the workings of the universe on more than one occasion. Such a shame that people like Lenny or Ted have to be uncovered, and the dust blown off. They should be on the tip of everyone's tongue like Hendrix or Clapton. Then again, it makes me wonder how many other hidden musical geniuses are out there just waiting for me to discover their sonic poetry, and that makes me smile.
Check out this album "STANDARD BRANDS" which features the guitar duo of Chet Atkins & Lenny Breau. It is one of the most beautiful records you will ever hear. I have played it thousands of times and never tire of their musical collaboration.
Thankyou, distant past youtuber
That tree trunk had never been happier, even though it was very dead it was still at that moment never more alive in 'Lenny's' awesome hands.
I was thinking the same. " Wow, if you'd cut a baseball bat in half and attach it to a guitar ...
Genius guy
So sweet...
Mention Chet Atkins and a lot of people will say..yeah, I've heard of him. Lenny Breau? No, can't say I've ever heard of him. Who is he? And that's a damm shame!!!
makes me proud to come from new brunswick.
Happy heavenly birthday.
HE'S AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thx. for the upload...so fine.
P E R F E C T I O N~ Lenny Breau
By chance would anyone recognize the guitar that he is playing ?? Not sure what it is!!
He was one of the greatest players of all time. He was another one of those quiet geniuses that walked among us, never boasted about his ability, shared his knowledge freely and asked for nothing in return.
Baldwin
Baldwin Virginian.
From another dimension
Bummer there is so much static in this recording, but worth it for lenny's playing
Holy Crap.....
This man should never have left so early
True genius...
I just got off of a forum where there was much discussion over joe bonamassa's GREAT proficiency on the instrument ... this world seems upside down. alot of people dont know what it takes to play certain pieces of music that sound very "ordinary" on the guitar. there are some things that sound very simple but are VERY hard to play and there are things that sound complex and crazy hard that is nothing but "simple" mnemonic mimicry. create create create is all important.. that is all
Yep, Not until one has played the guitar diligently for over 30 years plus!
Does anyone know about a transcription of this piece? I'd love to play it on the guitar, it's so beautiful.
Just figure it out man
Who would think that a BURNS/BALDWIN " Virginian" guitar could sound so beautiful? Dang ,wish that I never sold mine!
I ran across one of these one ebay, so I had to find out how they sounded. They weren't worthy of Lenny Breau , but they were interesting. LB could make a plastic ukelele sound brilliant.
They were so worthy of him. Some of the best guitars every made.
The end of the headstock on this guitar was purposefully designed so it could grasped with 2 hands and swung about in a circular fashion in case you were being attacked by Ninja's at every angle. Rumor has it that Jackie Chan had a hand in its development.
@fdidioda I'm quite sure it's a model called the "Virginian" by the Baldwin guitar company.
and yet another monster guitar player.
2:57-3:04. So sick. Nobody can play that.
It's just when the band kicks In and swings with middle comp and melody on top...cool as not impossible at all
is this song on any CD ??
1:53 😲
@schniggitty1 Um.... underappreciated, yes. Unsung - no. Tons of top-flight musicians have praised him over and over again. Even Chet Atkins - arguably one of the Top Five guitar players of all time - said that Lenny Breau was the greatest guitar player that ever walked the face of the earth. He was IMMENSELY influential especially in the 1960s. He just didn't do much stuff that made to the Top 40: he didn't care about fame, he just wanted to make amazing music! (which he did)
it gets so real after 1:53 ....
@JoJaDaRu good things never last.
What is the guitar he is playing? Looks similar to an early Godin, or not with that scroll on the headstock. Kirk Sand one off? I note the comment below that is was a Burns/Baldwin. Is it?
Sheeee-it, imagine if Lenny was in the Beatles!
The limitations of guitar, (compared to piano),that must be overcome, make it all the more fascinating in the hands of a Breau or a Green: The essential beauty of a harmony must be found; notes that are technically part of one fabric must be brought in & out according to which of them makes the music present its truest face at each particular moment. In that sense ,(with all due respect to the original), I actually prefer Lenny's interpretations of Bill Evans to Evans himself,
what guitar is that?
3 people just don't get it.
not just another..
The Real Deal!
@tubegucker1 I dont believe it is on any known recording
i cant even believe that a human could play that well
I wonder if Mcartney has seen this??
Title should of been "Many years ago".
Mistake at 1:29 -- from the greatest !
I think it might be a Baldwin.
Yes, it's a Baldwin, made in England.
@@sitarnut Considering the exquisite range and effects he draws from the instrument, I was about to suggest it's a Steinway.
@@vestibulate Good one, Tom..
@@vestibulate Can't help but bute in here...Totally unknown in US but legendary throughout Europe and the British colonies. I'm coming to you from one of them: Canada. Burns of London became Baldwin in '65. I lost my wi-fi so I'm on another's ph. right now. The point is: you might surprise yourself if you sample a few things by The Shadows on YT. They recorded on Burns '63-'70. This is a mouthful, but a shortcut would be my YT channel: kwambam1...lots of Burns/Baldwin stuff.
:)