Friday 21 August 2009

James Burton's Sweet Guitar

I'm workwhelmed again at the moment, but today's big birthday must be marked - it's the 70th of the world's finest guitarist (says he controversially) James Burton. What his Wikipedia entry doesn't mention is that Burton ('Do it for me, James') was also in the great band - Larry Knetchell, Joe Osborn, Buddy Emmons, Hal Blaine ('Hit it, Hal'), Burton - on John Phillips' forgotten masterpiece Wolfking Of LA (which I just might have mentioned before)... Still going more than strong, Burton can be seen here with Emmylou at last year's James Burton Guitar Festival. The sound's all over the place, but there's no missing the beauty of Rodney Crowell's song - and James Burton's sweet guitar.

4 comments:

  1. It was about five o'clock in the afternoon of Friday 21 August and I was enjoying a cup of tea when they first told me God wasn't Eric Clapton ... oh well. A very fine sound, as you say. I like Pat Metheny and above all the sadly late but very great Ali Farka Touré. Rolling Stone's own list of guitar greats is here but it seems a bit dated now.

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  2. Interesting link Mark, although, any list that Includes Geo Harrison has to be a bit suspect.
    Dare I add the wizard of the acoustic guitar, Manitas di Plata, he did with the guitar what du Pre did with the Cello and I don't mean wrap her knees around it.

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  3. Malty, on a completely different subject: a friend has just sent me "Gerhard Richter: Bilder aus Privaten Sammlungen" (MKM Museum Kuppersmuhle fur Moderne Kunst, Duisburg). I don't read German but the pics are lovely. The exhibition is finished now, I believe, but maybe this catalogue is worth looking out for.

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  4. Thanks Mark, and a pity, we will be over there late next week and had planned a day at Zollverein, minutes away.
    Germans, old Richter included really should stay away from the Barolo when visiting Florence

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