LA BOOTLEG 1984
Lenny Breau
Guitar Archives/Linus Entertainment
4 out of 5 stars
30 years ago, in August of 1984, jazz guitar legend Lenny Breau was
found dead of an apparent murder that remains unsolved. Two months before, executive producer Randy Bachman
and the crew of Guitar Archives released a never before heard live album
recorded by the legendary guitarist at the peak of his powers.
“LA Bootleg 1984” is a collection of tried and tested standards such
as “Stella By Starlight”, “They Will Never Be Another You”, and “If You Could
See Me Now” performed in a trio setting that brings elements of swing,
introspection, reflection and happiness, not indicating that there are no signs
of Lenny Breau slowing down and just on the brink of a new creative high. These performances haven’t been released and
can be seen as somewhat of a revelation for Lenny Breau fans and devotees who
want to bring some closure to his short career.
Upon listening to this new recording, it is astonishing that Mr.
Breau blended various genres and prodigious technique to create a style that is
uniquely his own. Here we get to see
him interact with a fuller jazz unit that supports Mr. Breau in his
explorations while he swings and burns on faster tempos such as “Four” and
“There Will Never Be Another You” and reflects and plays with sensitivity on
ballads such as “When I Fall In Love” and “If You Could See Me Now”.
One of the highlighted tracks in this set is an obscure piece
composed by Don Thompson called “Days Gone By”. Lenny treat’s this piece so well that it
deserves to become a contemporary standard, bringing heartfelt emotion and
harmonic sensibilities into the piece.
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