Les Paul, Live at the Iridium - City Room Blog - NYTimes.comLes Paul, Live at the Iridium
By The New York TimesFor years, Les Paul, the guitar pioneer who died on Thursday at 94, was a mainstay at the Iridium in Manhattan on Monday nights, delighting fans with his musical mastery (and harmlessly risqué jokes). Here is a City Room report on a show in March:
The original guitar hero, playing two shows on Mondays into his 90s.
“Birds do it. Bees do it. Even 93-year-old guitar players do it.’’
More than half a century after the electric guitar pioneer Les Paul had his biggest hits with Mary Ford, the jazzman is still doing it — playing guitar at the Iridium, two shows on Monday nights.
Having taken a post-pastrami nap and later dined with relatives who are in town, I’m sitting at a back table in this intimate basement venue on Broadway at 51st Street. A woman in front of me sways gently as “the Wizard of Waukesha’’ and his trio take us “Over the Rainbow.’’ His right foot often tapping to the beat, Mr. Paul makes his way through many favorite standards, from “The Lady Is a Tramp’’ and “Blue Skies’’ to a jazzed-up “Tennessee Waltz.’’
To a nonmusician like me, his playing seems strong, controlled. In his day, I imagine, he must have been amazing.
There is an easy banter among Les Paul and his trio, from his harmlessly risqué jokes (“I’ll let you play with my pacemaker,’’ he tells his comely bass player) to mentions of Louis Armstrong, Art Tatum and Jackson Heights, Queens, where Mr. Paul and Ms. Ford recorded some of their songs in a basement.
The tab, including cover and minimum purchase, is $75 before tax and tip.
By the time Mr. Paul plays “Sweet Georgia Brown’’ and prepares to sign autographs, there’s no doubt that he’s managed to take a hint from one number the group played: “Young at Heart.’’