Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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BREAU, Lenny

(b 5 Aug. '41, Auburn, Maine; d 12 Aug. '84, LA) Guitarist, once described by Chet Atkins as 'the best guitar player in the world today'. He came up through country music infl. by jazz, like that of Hank Garland and Jerry Reed, but added a full range of classical technique. Albums Guitar Sound Of Lenny Breau '68 and The Velvet Touch Of '69 (live at Shelly's Manne-Hole) were both on RCA with bassist Don Thompson (b 18 Jan. '40, Powell River BC) and drummer Claude Ranger. Albums on Adelphi were solo Five O'Clock Bells and Mo' Breau '78 (now combined on a CD), also Lenny Breau Trio with Thompson and Ranger, which may be a reissue of one of the RCA LPs or of Now c'78, once on a Sound Hole label. Tracks for Direct-Disc Labs '79 had Thompson and Ranger, Atkins second guitar on one track. Also Lenny Breau And Brad Terry, made privately by clarinettist Terry, on Livingroom Records; Quietude '83 on Canadian Electric Muse label and Legacy on Relaxed Rabbitt were duets with bassist Dave Young; two-CD Live At Bourbon Street '83 on Guitarchives was made in the Toronto club with Young. Fans Dan Casavant and Randy Bachman (ex-Guess Who and Bachman- Turner Overdrive) started Guitarchive in Toronto and have compiled 80 hours of tapes: further two-CD sets were to be Boy Wonder and Cabin Fever. To confuse things completely, there is Last Sessions on Adelphi LP and cassette and on a Genes CD; The Velvet Touch and Standard Brands with Atkins are now on One Way CDs. A long-term heroin addict, Breau was found strangled in a swimming pool; everybody knew which drug dealer did it but there was no evidence.