James Burton: Chicken Pickin' Master

As I post more on this lil' ol' blog of mine, I've come to realise that I have a soft spot and great respect for sidemen. Those players that more than often are to be found, not on the front cover picture of those classic albums, but, if they are lucky, somewhere in the dense liner notes of the album's insert. In the annals of great rock 'n' roll, there are only a few players that have managed to gain a reputation of their own, away from the spotlights of the superstars they back up. James Burton is one such picker. To get us underway, let us have a listen to one of his earliest, and still gnarliest, recordings.

James Burton was just 18 years old when he lay down that iconic riff on rockabilly star Dale Hawkins' biggest hit. He had begun playing guitar early in his childhood, going semi-pro at 13. He soon moved west to Los Angeles and started finding work in the studios, playing on some of the most enduring rock 'n' roll hits of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He joined teen idol Ricky Nelson's band in 1958, playing smokin' lead on his records until 1967. Here is one of Ricky's biggest hits.

In his time on the mid 1960s L.A. session circuit, James played guitar for The Everly Brothers, "Mama" Cass Elliot, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield and The Monkees. He was a regular member of the house-band of pop show Shindig. Country legends Merle Haggard and Buck Owens utilised his chicken-pickin' Telecaster sound on some of their mid 1960s records,  His picking style, a highly-skilled combination of plectrum and finger plucking, known as hybrid picking, is the standard left-hand technique now employed by country players. Also, his use of the Fender Telecaster with a razor-sharp clean tone created the archetypal twangy country electric guitar sound we know today. Here is some of that good ol' country twang in action.

His most high profile gig came in 1969. Elvis Presley, basking in a post-'68 Comeback Special resurgence in popularity, was easing back into the live environment he had forsaken in favour of schlock flicks and novelty records. He needed a new band to back him in the Las Vegas hotel venues and concert halls that would soon be his home. James Burton, fresh from leaving Ricky Nelson, accepted the gig and set about putting together the band for Presley. Along with drummer Ronnie Tutt, rhythm guitarist John Wilkinson, pianists Glen D. Hardin and Larry Muhoberac and bassist Jerry Scheff, he formed the core Elvis group, the TCB (Takin' Care Of Business) Band. This group backed The King until his untimely death in 1977. While not regarded as Presley's finest musical years, Burton's rippin' Telecaster playing would always shine through even the most schmaltzy song choices Elvis would throw at him. Here, however, is the exception to the rule. This tune just plain rocks. James is in the back somewhere, sporting his signature Pink Paisley Tele.

In between rockin' out with The King, James was a vital element in the formation of country rock. When Gram Parson left that genre's foremost pioneers, The Flying Burritos Brothers, he called upon Burton to add a even more countrified sound to his new solo material. James, being a good man to form a band around, formed the core of Parson's studio band, playing on both of Gram's influential solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel. Here is one of my favourite Gram solo tracks."Pick it for me, James!"

The harmony singer on that track was one Emmylou Harris. After Gram's death in 1973, Emmylou formed the Hot Band, of which James was a founding member. He played on her first two solo outings, Pieces Of The Sky and Elite Hotel. Here they are on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1976.

James Burton continued to work with various legends throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. MOR superstar John Denver had him in his touring band in this period. The other Elvis, Costello that is, asked him to play on his first post-Attractions album, 1986's country-tinged King Of America, as well as a variety of other future projects. Roy Orbison, on the comeback trail in the late 1980s, asked Burton to be part of his Black And White Night TV special. James, alongside his TCB bandmates, fitted in nicely with the galaxy of stars that turned out to back The Big O on that gig. Here is a sample of this fine concert. See how many familiar faces you recognise.

As you can see, if it's country twang and consistently face-melting playing you want, James Burton is your man. The unassuming mustachioed gentleman, in the background somewhere, will hopefully continue to twang that Tele for many more years. Here is one final track, uniting the two Elvises in one rockin' little package. Happy Twangin' y'all!

Recommended Listening: GP - Gram Parsons - 1973
http://allmusic.com/album/gp-r14895
Some James Burton Twangy Classics: Susie-Q - Dale Hawkins, Boulder To Birmingham - Emmylou Harris, Brass Buttons - Gram Parsons

Bill Frisell: Mr. Atmospherics

One of the things I adore about music is the way it can alter one's mood in an instant and take your brain on a trip to who knows where. Some musicians have this ability to conjure up a time or place in a listener's mind with the merest stroke of their instrument. Bill Frisell is such a player. That is not to say he is just provides background mood muzak for the weary yuppie. Rather his elegant playing is an evocative presence in whatever setting he appears, creating wonderful pictures for the listener. While he is considered a jazz artist, he is the consummate musician, able to turn his hand to any genre you could care to name. However, his signature ethereal sound remains constant. Once you listen to a bit of Bill Frisell, you can pick him out in a plethora of musical situations. For starters, let us hear one of his best themes, Poem For Eva.

Bill Frisell began his musical life playing clarinet in his high school band. He took up the guitar in his early teens, quickly developing a love of the jazz playing of Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell, as well as psychedelic rockers like Jimi Hendrix. His musical career did not really kick start until the early 1980s when he joined the legendary European jazz label, ECM Records. This company, synonymous with progressive, crisply-recorded jazz, proved a fertile training ground for Frisell's early avant-garde leanings. As well as producing some solo albums, he played on sessions for the likes of saxophonist Jan Garbarek, drummer Paul Motian and bassist Eberhard Weber. He also played far-out noise rock with the saxophonist John Zorn in the band Naked City. He is a sample of them live. All I will say is that it may not to be everyone's taste.

In the early 1990s, Bill Frisell released a string of albums exploring his fascination with the American popular song of all shapes and sizes. On albums like Have A Little Faith, Nashville and Ghost Town, Frisell, as well as presenting his own eclectic compositions, interpreted classic American tunes from a wide variety of genres. These include tunes by Hank Williams, Thelonious Monk, George Gershwin, Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Aaron Copland and Madonna. He also began to incorporate traditional country, folk and bluegrass licks into his graceful jazz style with seamless effort. A great example of Frisell's uniquely fresh take on the pop song is this number, from The Wizard Of Oz, taken from Elvis Costello's Spectacle TV show.

His use of effect processors is worth noting here. With an array of reverb, delay, modulation and fuzz pedals at his feet, Frisell can go from pure bebop tone, to Byrds-esque jangle, to pedal steel-like twang to harsh heavy metal distortion at the flick of a switch, sometimes all within the same song. Whatever the setting, Frisell has a sound to go with it. Here is a perfect example of his use of colour in sound. This is his tribute to the celebrated jazz bassist, Ron Carter.

While he has produced several fine albums himself, he continues to add his stately playing to records by many legendary figures in all musical walks of life. As mentioned above, Elvis Costello has employed him for numerous musical projects, including The Sweetest Punch, an interpretation of material Costello composed with Burt Bacharach for the album Painted From Memory. He has lent his talents to recordings by Paul Simon, Marianne Faithfull, Rickie Lee Jones and soprano Renée Fleming. He has contributed to the soundtracks of movies like Finding Forrester and Million Dollar Hotel. Here is Frisell at his ambient best.

As you can see, Bill Frisell can and has turned his hand to a glut of varied projects over the years. While he has built a reputation as an artful impressionist on guitar, he is also swinging, harmonically fluent jazz player when the occasion warrants. Hopefully, his effervescent sound will continue to float across the musical landscape for many years to come.

Recommend Listening: Have A Little Faith (1992)
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0vfexqygldfe
Some Key Frisell Cuts: Just Like A Woman (Have a Little Faith), A Change Is Gonna Come (History Mystery), Go Jake (Nashville).