LOS ANGELES (Capitol Records) - American guitar legend Les Paul will turn 90 years old next Thursday, June 9. To celebrate the world-renowned electric guitar innovator and performer's 90th year, Capitol/EMI
Music Catalog Marketing is joining other Les Paul admirers to put on quite a celebration, including new CD releases, two new books, and a host of special events fit for the father of the electric guitar.
Les Paul, who continues to perform weekly at New York's Iridium Jazz Club, has just finished recording
Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, his first new album since 1978, an all-star collaboration CD to be released August 30th by Capitol/EMI. Produced by Bob Cutarella and Fran Cathcart, many of music's top artists joined Les Paul for his high-octane return to the studio, including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton,
Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons,
Buddy Guy, Beth Hart, Steve Miller, Keith Richards, Johnny Rzeznik, Richie Sambora, Neal Schon, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sting, Joss Stone, and more.
On June 7, Capitol/EMM will reissue
Les Paul with Mary Ford: The Best of The Capitol Masters (90th Birthday Edition), a collection of Les Paul's finest Capitol recordings, with new artwork, three bonus tracks and a new package essay written by Les Paul. On June 9, the evening of Les Paul's 90th birthday, he will be honored with the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. The honors will be bestowed at the organization's 2005 awards dinner at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel. One of the world's greatest gatherings of guitarists will take the stage for "All For Paul: Les Paul's 90th Birthday Salute," a star-studded celebration presented by Gibson Guitar at the JVC Jazz Festival - New York, at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, June 19.
Throughout the next year, Gibson Guitar will issue 12 special edition custom Les Paul guitars to commemorate Paul's 90th birthday. Two new Les Paul books will be published this summer:
The Les Paul Legacy (ISBN 0634048619) by Rob Lawrence is due in July from Hal Leonard Publishing.
Les Paul In His Own Words, a limited edition autobiography with each numbered copy signed by Les Paul, is scheduled for a June 9 release by Russ Cochran Publishing.
Les Paul, born June 9, 1915 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, is not just one of the world's finest guitarists of all time, but is also a Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer, five-time Grammy® Award winner, the inventor of the solid body electric guitar, and the pioneer of numerous enduring studio techniques, including multi-track recording and the use of reverb. His signature Les Paul line of Gibson guitars debuted in 1952 and quickly grew into a family of four models, the Junior, Special, Standard and Custom, all of which became Gibson classics. Gibson's Les Paul guitars, including new custom models from Jimmy Page, Neal Schon and Joe Perry, are universally hailed as the best and are the top choice for many of the world's premier players.
Les Paul continues to play weekly shows at New York's Iridium Jazz Club, with 8pm and 10pm sets every Monday evening...
Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played
All tracks - Les Paul With:
1. ... (intro)
2. Sting, Joss Stone .. Love Sneakin' Up On You
3. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Edgar Winter .. Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo
4. Eric Clapton & Sam Cooke .. Somebody Ease My Troublin' Mind
5. Peter Frampton .. So Into You
6. Billy Gibbons .. Bad Case Of Lovin' You
7. Neal Schon & Beth Hart .. I Wanna Know You
8. Jeff Beck & Sam Cooke .. Good News
9. Richie Sambora .. Let Me Roll It
10. ... Caravan
11. Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Rick Derringer .. Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl
12. Johnny Rzeznik .. All I Want Is You
13. Les Paul & Friends (All-Star Jam) .. 69 Freedom Special
14. Steve Miller .. Fly Like An Eagle
15. Alsou .. How High The Moon
15. Mick Hucknall & Joe Perry .. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know