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Lenny Breau was born on August 5, 1941 in Auburn, Maine and was discovered by top country guitar player Chet Atkins in Winnipeg, Canada. Thought by numerous jazz guitarists to be the most ingenious guitar player to have appeared on the jazz scene in the 1960s, Breau lived for the majority of his life as a recluse. This was mostly due to his drug addiction and the associated physical and mental problems that went along with it. His recordings definitely prove that he was a dazzling, versatile, and very innovative jazz guitar stylist!
Lenny Breau started to play the guitar at the age of seven. By the time he was twelve he had the ability to play professionally with his parents who were country and western singers Hal "Lone Pine" Breau and Betty Cody. He initially ended up being interested in jazz guitar music at the age of seventeen. Lenny listened to the recordings of most of the leading guitar innovators of the 1950s including Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, and Johnny Smith.
Nevertheless, the unique approach of guitar playing that Lenny eventually embraced was primarily influenced by the fingerstyle approach of country fingerstyle guitar legend Chet Atkins and the jazz piano approach of Bill Evans. When Chet Atkins heard Lenny Breau in Winnipeg, he instantly recognized the young performer's special talent and signed him to record an album for the RCA label. After the success of his very first recording for RCA, Breau spent a decent amount of time residing in Los Angeles. There he acquired prominence in jazz circles when he played at drummer Shelley Manne's jazz club, "The Manne Hole" and other jazz clubs.
In the late 1960s Breau returned to Toronto, moving to Winnipeg in 1973 till 1975. For numerous years he lived in Killaloe which was likewise in Canada, however rarely gave any public performances. With the persuasion of Chet Atkins and others, he did spend some time in Nashville teaching jazz guitar master classes and playing occasional club dates. From 1977 - 1981 Lenny made a number of new recordings which once again made evident his enormous amount of skill.
At this point in his career Lenny Breau was playing a 7 string guitar constructed to his own design. This instrument had an extra treble string, a high A, rather than the additional bass string, a low A, made famous by George Van Eps on his 7 string guitar. In November 1983 Lenny moved to Los Angeles where he taught private students and jazz guitar workshops. He likewise wrote a regular instructional column (edited by Jim Ferguson) for Guitar Player Magazine. He appeared every Monday night playing live with world-famous jazz guitar player Tal Farlow at the famous Donte's Jazz Club.
On August 12, 1984 he was found dead in what was initially believed to be a pool mishap. Later evidence points to the very real possibility that he was murdered. Lenny Breau, although little known to the typical jazz music enthusiast, is regarded by guitarists in addition to those jazz artists who worked with him as one of the most original and influential jazz guitar players of all time. He was also an unbelievably versatile guitarist as well playing country, flamenco, folk, concert classical, and Indian music with the same proficiency and level of excitement as he played jazz!
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron is an expert on solo jazz guitar playing. He has spent most of his adult life playing professionally at clubs and restaurants as well as teaching private students at his studio. Sign up now for his Free "Guitar Chord Harmonizations Report" and find out more about Lenny Breau guitar solos.
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