[Elspode]

It is impossible to put enough accolades and honors at the feet of this singular giant. Although most people know his name by dint of it's association with what has become one of but a few of rock and roll's truly standard instruments, far fewer actually know the man and his music.

Even if 40's and 50's pop standard music isn't your forte, you owe it to yourself to listen to the work of Les Paul. His brilliance and creativity are immediately evident from the first notes. Les Paul's distinctive style could *never* be mistaken for anyone else. A large part of that distinctive, energetic sound, is due to the multitracking and variable speed recording techniques which he invented in the days before there was magnetic tape, let alone digits. His first multitrack machine was based on a shellac record lathe made from a Cadillac flywheel, amongst other cobbled together gear. He was (pun intended) instrumental in the development of the first multitrack tape recorder (using Bing Crosby's money), contributing to making Ampex the planetary standard in recording technology for decades. And, as if that was not enough, he was one of a very few independent inventors of the solid-body electric guitar (Leo Fender and Adolph Rickenbaker had their own ideas, and all three mens' designs *still* hold sway over the vast majority of such instruments today).

Les Paul even managed to foreshadow live sampling/loop technology by about fifty odd years using his "Paulverizer", a live multitrack system that allowed him to play a line to tape, hit a switch to start another track, and onward to four backing tracks with himself playing live atop it all. Some reports have claimed this to be a put-on that he used in his live show, and that there was simply pre-recorded tracking played behind him, but having seen him actually demo the Paulerizer in a concert tribute program some years ago, I beleve it existed.

From my point of view as a guitarist (of sorts, anyway), Les Paul occupied the highest possible position in my musical pantheon, both as musician and as inventor. He was the sort of man that They rarely make anymore.

Should you doubt that the Greatest Generation was tougher and more stubborn than We are, it is worth noting that Les Paul still played a weekly club gig nearly up to the end. In fact, one of our Cellarites (can't recall who) was privileged to see his act a few years back while in New York.

RIP Les. You had a *hell* of a run, and gave music lovers in this world much to relish and enjoy.