When Lightn' Strikes
Encyclopedia
When Lightn' Strikes is an album by Canadian
guitarist Lenny Breau
, released in 1984.
had previously recorded together on Minors Aloud
.
Originally released on LP
in 1984 by the small Tudor Records label, it had neither liner notes nor personnel listed. Tudor ceased business shortly after its release and it quickly went out of print. It was remastered and reissued in 2005 on the Art of Life Records label as Swingin' on a Seven-String with an altered track sequence and one bonus track. The reissue includes a booklet with liner notes by Ron Forbes-Roberts and notes by musicians Ferguson, Emmons, and Kenny Malone
.
, critic Russell Carlson wrote "Breau created an ambiguous fusion of jazz and country on Swingin’, nimbly ducking in and out of pedal-steel guitarist Buddy Emmons’ syrupy, starlit melodies while coasting along with drummer Kenny Malone’s and bassist Jim Ferguson’s straightahead swing propulsion... Breau’s mastery of an impressionistic Bill Evans style has him pulling ideas and emotion from country music that a pure honky-tonker could never realize." John Kelman of All About Jazz
praised the album and called Breau "a bolt of lightning when he emerged in the '70s out of Manitoba, Canada". Of the album, Kelman wrote: "Breau may not have broken any turf in terms of pushing jazz out of the mainstream, but his interpretive skills and ability to retain a tune's essence while reimagining it in a pure jazz context remains evocative to this day. For those unfamiliar with Breau's magic, Swingin' on a Seven-String is a perfect place to start." Scott Yanow reviewed the reissue, giving it 4.5 of 5 stars and writing " It is a long-overdue joy to have this highly enjoyable music available again, and it is highly recommended to anyone at all interested in Lenny Breau's artistry."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
guitarist Lenny Breau
Lenny Breau
Leonard Harold "Lenny" Breau was a musician, guitar player, and music educator. He was known for blending many styles of music including: jazz, country, classical and flamenco guitar...
, released in 1984.
History
When Lightn' Strikes was the last studio album Breau recorded before he was killed in 1984 and was released after his death. It contains the only studio recordings of Breau on his seven-string guitar. Besides the seven-string, Breau also played classical guitar on the album. There are five duets with bassist Jim Ferguson. Breau and pedal steel player Buddy EmmonsBuddy Emmons
Buddy Emmons , is an American guitarist.Emmons has been called "The World's Foremost Steel Guitarist" and his talent is greatly admired by fellow steel guitarists...
had previously recorded together on Minors Aloud
Minors Aloud
Minors Aloud is an album by American pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons and Canadian guitarist Lenny Breau, first released in 1978.-History:...
.
Originally released on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 1984 by the small Tudor Records label, it had neither liner notes nor personnel listed. Tudor ceased business shortly after its release and it quickly went out of print. It was remastered and reissued in 2005 on the Art of Life Records label as Swingin' on a Seven-String with an altered track sequence and one bonus track. The reissue includes a booklet with liner notes by Ron Forbes-Roberts and notes by musicians Ferguson, Emmons, and Kenny Malone
Kenny Malone
Kenny Malone is an American drummer/percussionist from Nashville, Tennessee. He has been, since the 1970s, and continues to be a prominent session musician in folk, country and many other acoustic-based genres.-References:...
.
Reception
Writing for Allmusic, music critic Paul Kohler called the album "A lost gem!" In reviewing the reissue for JazzTimesJazzTimes
JazzTimes is a magazine that dates back to Radio Free Jazz, a publication founded in 1970 by Ira Sabin when he was operating a record store in Washington, DC. It was originally a newsletter designed to update shoppers on the latest jazz releases and provide jazz radio programmers with a means of...
, critic Russell Carlson wrote "Breau created an ambiguous fusion of jazz and country on Swingin’, nimbly ducking in and out of pedal-steel guitarist Buddy Emmons’ syrupy, starlit melodies while coasting along with drummer Kenny Malone’s and bassist Jim Ferguson’s straightahead swing propulsion... Breau’s mastery of an impressionistic Bill Evans style has him pulling ideas and emotion from country music that a pure honky-tonker could never realize." John Kelman of All About Jazz
All About Jazz
All About Jazz is a leading jazz music website for enthusiasts and industry professionals based in Philadelphia in the United States.Founded by Michael Ricci in 1995, the Web-Site is maintained by a volunteer staff of writers, editors, and musicians, and provides coverage of all genres of jazz from...
praised the album and called Breau "a bolt of lightning when he emerged in the '70s out of Manitoba, Canada". Of the album, Kelman wrote: "Breau may not have broken any turf in terms of pushing jazz out of the mainstream, but his interpretive skills and ability to retain a tune's essence while reimagining it in a pure jazz context remains evocative to this day. For those unfamiliar with Breau's magic, Swingin' on a Seven-String is a perfect place to start." Scott Yanow reviewed the reissue, giving it 4.5 of 5 stars and writing " It is a long-overdue joy to have this highly enjoyable music available again, and it is highly recommended to anyone at all interested in Lenny Breau's artistry."
Track listing
- "AnytimeAnytime (1921 song)"Anytime" is a popular song written by Herbert "Happy" Lawson. The song was published in 1939.The song is best known in a 1952 recording by Eddie Fisher...
" (Herbert "Happy" Lawson) – 3:41 - "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You" (Hank Williams) – 3:31
- "You Needed MeYou Needed Me"You Needed Me" became the second single for Irish Boyband Boyzone from their album By Request. The single became number #1 on the UK Singles Chart, beating the debut solo single of Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, outselling her by just 700 copies...
" (Randy GoodrumRandy GoodrumRandy Goodrum is an American songwriter. Goodrum has written numerous popular songs, including Anne Murray's #1 hit "You Needed Me" and "Broken Hearted Me" , Michael Johnson's "Bluer Than Blue" , England Dan & John Ford Coley's "It's Sad to Belong" , Steve Perry's "Oh Sherrie" , DeBarge's "Who's...
) – 3:20 - "She Thinks I Still Care" (Dickey LeeDickey LeeRoyden Dickey Lipscomb , known professionally as Dickey Lee , is an American pop/country singer and songwriter, best known for the 1960s teenage tragedy songs "Patches" and "Laurie ."-Career:Lee made his first recordings in his hometown of Memphis for Tampa...
) – 3:17 - "Please Release Me" (Eric Horton, Sean Peck) – 4:23
- "Blue Moon Of KentuckyBlue Moon of Kentucky"Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a waltz written in 1946 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, The Blue Grass Boys. The song has since been recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley....
" (Bill MonroeBill MonroeWilliam Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
) – 2:12 - "I Love You Because" (Leon PayneLeon PayneLeon Payne , "the Blind Balladeer", was a country music singer and songwriter.-Life:Leon Roger Payne was born in Alba, Texas on June 15, 1917. He was blind in one eye at birth, and lost the sight of the other eye in early childhood. He attended the Texas School for the Blind from 1924 to 1935,...
) – 4:10 - "Bonaparte's RetreatBonaparte's Retreat (Pee Wee King song)"Bonaparte's Retreat" is the title of a song written by American country music artist Pee Wee King. Various versions of the melody themes exist as traditional fiddle tunes dating back to before the turn of the 20th Century, and probably well before that. King's version was released as a single in...
" (Pee Wee KingPee Wee KingJulius Frank Anthony Kuczynski , known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "The Tennessee Waltz"....
, Redd StewartRedd StewartHenry Ellis Stewart , better known as Redd Stewart, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist who co-wrote "The Tennessee Waltz" with Pee Wee King in 1948.-Biography:...
) – 2:58 - "Back in IndianaBack Home Again in Indiana" Indiana" is a song composed by Ballard MacDonald and James F. Hanley, first published in January of 1917. While it is not the official state song of the U.S...
" (James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonaldBallard MacDonaldBallard MacDonald was a Tin Pan Alley lyricist.Born in Portland, Oregon, among his credits are:Beautiful Ohio, Rose of Washington Square, Second Hand Rose, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Back Home Again in Indiana, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, Play That Barbershop Chord, Clap Hands, Here Comes...
) – 3:59 - "I'm So Lonesome I Could CryI'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1949. The song about loneliness was largely inspired by his troubled relationship with wife Audrey Sheppard...
" (Williams) – 4:18- 2005 reissue bonus track:
- "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain" (Fred RoseFred Rose (musician)Fred Rose was an American Hall of Fame songwriter and music publishing executive.-Biography:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Fred Rose started playing piano and singing as a small boy. In his teens, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked in bars busking for tips, and finally vaudeville...
) – 3:17
Personnel
- Lenny Breau – guitar
- Buddy EmmonsBuddy EmmonsBuddy Emmons , is an American guitarist.Emmons has been called "The World's Foremost Steel Guitarist" and his talent is greatly admired by fellow steel guitarists...
– pedal steel guitar - Jim Ferguson – bass
- Kenny MaloneKenny MaloneKenny Malone is an American drummer/percussionist from Nashville, Tennessee. He has been, since the 1970s, and continues to be a prominent session musician in folk, country and many other acoustic-based genres.-References:...
– drums