Search - Les Paul :: Legendary Fred Waring Broadcasts

Rare broadcast recordings by the young Les Paul a "must have

James F. Foster | Minneapolis, MN USA | 08/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Radio shows of the 1930s and 40s generally were heard once and then lost in the cosmos, due to the fact that recording them was not a general practice at the time. In light of that, it's fortunate for fans of Les Paul that Fred Waring preserved many of his broadcasts with the Pennsylvanians from those years on electrical transcriptions. Otherwise, this sampling of the early work of the "Wizard of Waukesha" would not be ours to enjoy today, and that indeed would be a loss.

Waring's coast-to-coast radio show provided Les with his

first national exposure, and served as a springboard for the amazing career that lay ahead of him as a performer, innovator, and inventor The pure energy, verve and drive, the artistry displayed in his work on these cuts showcases his amazing talent, and the influence of the great Django Reinhardt is

readily apparent.

Les's instrument was the only electric guitar in the Waring orchestra, and these broadcast performances were largely responsible for taking the guitar out of the rhythm section and placing it in the spotlight as a solo instrument.

Ably assisting Les are the other two members of the trio: Ernie Newton on bass, and Jimmy Atkins, brother of future guitar legend, Chet, who provided rhythm guitar and vocal renditions.

The Les Paul Trio scored an immediate hit with listeners of the Waring broadcasts. As evidence of that fact, Les likes to remember that after a time he bagan receiving more fan mail than did the maestro himself!

"