Great guitar 'breaks" (as opposed to solos).

bdp24

Great idea for a thread- excellent suggestions as above. I am a big fan of "Third stone from the Sun" as well. Are You Experienced? - such an incredible album.

Happy Listening!

I believe I already mentioned "Walk Through The Fire" by Mary Gauthier (a superb song found on her fantastic Filth & Fire album) in the Tune Of The Day thread. I do so here in regard to the guitar playing of album producer Gurf Morlix, who made his name producing and playing guitar & singing harmony for Lucinda Williams up through and including her Car Wheels On A Gravel Road album.

Gurf’s guitar break on this song (it straddles the line between a break and a true solo) displays his superb abilities at phrasing---the timing of his notes. He is as good at it as anyone I have ever heard, and that includes Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper (Booker T & The MG’s), James Burton, Robbie Robertson, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Peter Green, Duane Allman, Albert King, Freddie King, B.B. King, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix (who was mediocre in that regard imo), Jerry Garcia (less than mediocre ;-), and anyone else you would care to mention. I’m not overlooking Danny Gatton---phrasing wasn’t a priority for him. Phrasing isn’t even a consideration of many guitarists; Gurf milks every note, waiting for the tension created by holding a note to become almost unbearable before releasing that tension with his next. A very sexual player ;-). I will even rank Gurf’s playing on this song equal with Dave Edmunds’ on his fantastic recording of the Smiley Lewis song "I Hear You Knocking" (found on his debut solo album from 1970), still my all-time favorite guitar break (Ry Cooders’ in John Hiatt’s "Lipstick Sunset" is, I concede, more a solo than a break---it strays too far from the song’s melody to be the latter).

And then there is the tone of Gurf's guitar on this break; I’ve seen him live many times, and he always played a Fender Telecaster fitted with single-coil pickups, a guitar and pickups not known for sustain or thick "body" (yes argumentative types, there are exceptions). On this song, however, Gurf’s guitar & amp produce generous sustain and body, sounding much more like a Gibson fitted with double-coil (humbucker) pickups. He uses that sustain in service of his phrasing, and it works beautifully. Gurf’s guitar break/solo on this song is absolutely magnificent!

@dweller, oh man, Jerry Douglas is one of my favorite musicians, ever! I've seen him with Alison Krauss (the two made a baby together ;-), and went to see him last time he came through Portland. Fantastic!

@whart, I first saw Kirchen live when Commander Cody was playing around San Francisco; great guitarist. Next time you talk to Bill, mention "Paul Skelton". Paul and I were bandmates in San Jose, L.A., and New York, and after relocating to Austin in the late-80's, he and Bill became pals. Paul was (RIP) also a Tele player, and is on all the Wayne Hancock albums (another guitarist I worked with---Evan Johns---took Paul's place in Wayne's band on the road). Paul was also the guitarist in the band of that Austin guy I've been telling you about, Cornell Hurd. Junior Brown has recorded a couple of Cornell's songs.

Hey @whart, Redd must live in Austin. Last time I was in town I went into a little bar to get a drink as soon as we arrived, and there was a drumset and couple of amps on the little stage. The band was on break, but when they came back Redd was the guitarist. I guess he was playing casuals around town when he was off the road with Merle. He’s one of the better Telecasters players around.

I also went to The Continental Club that time, to see and hear Wanda Jackson. She was a Rockabilly singer (not many female ones) on Capitol Records in the late-50’s/early-60’s, with a real "growly" voice. Real good lookin’ too. Pretty face, cool black hairdo, good figure and great legs. My kinda gal ;-) . Elvis’ too; they dated for awhile. She then went into the Gospel field.

Out of the blue she reappeared in 2011, making an album with Jack White producing! The following year she did one with Justin Townes Earle (Steve's son) producing, for Bluegrass label Sugar Hill.