Monday, December 26, 2005
REMEMBERING SANDY BULL
A group of old friends and others gathered at Montgomery Bell Academy
in Nashville on Sunday. December i8th to eulogize the late Sandy Bull who
passed away five years ago. Among those who performed were Kevin Welch,
Kieren Kane, Jeff Hanna, Matreca Berg and John Hiatt ..Sandy was
considered one of the premier guitar heroes of an era, when Johnny Winter, Jimi
Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Earl Gaines, Terry Kath and Duane Allman were
being dubbed the new Gods of Stratocaster. He recorded for Vanguard, in one
of the first multitrack studios in Manhattan. The label was considered a haven
for folkies with artists like Joan Baez, Jerry Jeff Walker, Garland
Jeffries, Eric Anderson and John Hammond in the stable, but before there was folk
music, Maynard Solomon, the label head was concentrating on jazz and
improve. Vanguard most notably was the home base for Miles Davis.
Sandy Bull was laying down electric music that forever shaped the world
of sound that would evolve. He, along with Gil Evans and Eric Gale were
setting standards that set up the groundwork for every guitar player who would
come afterwards would follow. In that seemingly futuristic (by late sixties
standards) studio, he was able to create a new standard of sound and
playback.. He was revered like an icon of the guitar by a devoted group
of followers. Critics from the most prestigious publications including
Downbeat, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice and the New York Times
lauded his talent.
Sadly however, he spent many years living the musician¹s life, and in
the mid-seventies, drifted into obscurity. Yet, by the early eighties,
Sandy Bull was back, living in Los Angeles, clean and sober and playing to a
still-adoring audience in intimate jazz and listening rooms. The major
labels were not interested in this guitar virtuoso, and he was putting
out albums on his own. By the late 1980¹s. he had moved to Nashville with
the encouragement of people like Kevin and Dylan/Band road manager Bob
Neuwirth.
John Conlon, then the program director for super-hip WRLT had no idea
who he was, and would not program Sandy¹s independent records. He was another
obscure musician from the past who had surfaced in Music City. Yet on
his occasional performances, the major studio and road pickers would pack
the room to watch the master of the fret board .at work They knew that they
were watching greatness in their midst. Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler were
among those who lauded him. Still, he fell through the cracks of the
commercial structure, but Sandy had found a home.
Bull mixed jazz, blues and folk into his own sound, throwing in some
Django and Segovia stylings, just to make things interesting. Even in
sobriety, he shied away from the spotlight. He always felt that the artistry would
carry him, and during live performances, his intensity was what caught the
audience attention. Welch was perhaps his biggest supporter, and Kevin
rarely did an interview without mentioning Sandy¹s name. So, he
assembled a group of friends and admires, who gathered together to celebrate the
life and music of an unsung hero. Remembering how the guitarist would shy
away from the limelight, he would probably tell Kevin not to do the tribute
concert, So, it was fitting that the place made world famous by The
Last Poet¹s Society should hold a tribute for one of the greatest guitarists
of the last century.
(Source: 2005 Punmaster's MusicWire) ¶ 12/26/2005 08:44:00 PM
A group of old friends and others gathered at Montgomery Bell Academy
in Nashville on Sunday. December i8th to eulogize the late Sandy Bull who
passed away five years ago. Among those who performed were Kevin Welch,
Kieren Kane, Jeff Hanna, Matreca Berg and John Hiatt ..Sandy was
considered one of the premier guitar heroes of an era, when Johnny Winter, Jimi
Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Earl Gaines, Terry Kath and Duane Allman were
being dubbed the new Gods of Stratocaster. He recorded for Vanguard, in one
of the first multitrack studios in Manhattan. The label was considered a haven
for folkies with artists like Joan Baez, Jerry Jeff Walker, Garland
Jeffries, Eric Anderson and John Hammond in the stable, but before there was folk
music, Maynard Solomon, the label head was concentrating on jazz and
improve. Vanguard most notably was the home base for Miles Davis.
Sandy Bull was laying down electric music that forever shaped the world
of sound that would evolve. He, along with Gil Evans and Eric Gale were
setting standards that set up the groundwork for every guitar player who would
come afterwards would follow. In that seemingly futuristic (by late sixties
standards) studio, he was able to create a new standard of sound and
playback.. He was revered like an icon of the guitar by a devoted group
of followers. Critics from the most prestigious publications including
Downbeat, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice and the New York Times
lauded his talent.
Sadly however, he spent many years living the musician¹s life, and in
the mid-seventies, drifted into obscurity. Yet, by the early eighties,
Sandy Bull was back, living in Los Angeles, clean and sober and playing to a
still-adoring audience in intimate jazz and listening rooms. The major
labels were not interested in this guitar virtuoso, and he was putting
out albums on his own. By the late 1980¹s. he had moved to Nashville with
the encouragement of people like Kevin and Dylan/Band road manager Bob
Neuwirth.
John Conlon, then the program director for super-hip WRLT had no idea
who he was, and would not program Sandy¹s independent records. He was another
obscure musician from the past who had surfaced in Music City. Yet on
his occasional performances, the major studio and road pickers would pack
the room to watch the master of the fret board .at work They knew that they
were watching greatness in their midst. Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler were
among those who lauded him. Still, he fell through the cracks of the
commercial structure, but Sandy had found a home.
Bull mixed jazz, blues and folk into his own sound, throwing in some
Django and Segovia stylings, just to make things interesting. Even in
sobriety, he shied away from the spotlight. He always felt that the artistry would
carry him, and during live performances, his intensity was what caught the
audience attention. Welch was perhaps his biggest supporter, and Kevin
rarely did an interview without mentioning Sandy¹s name. So, he
assembled a group of friends and admires, who gathered together to celebrate the
life and music of an unsung hero. Remembering how the guitarist would shy
away from the limelight, he would probably tell Kevin not to do the tribute
concert, So, it was fitting that the place made world famous by The
Last Poet¹s Society should hold a tribute for one of the greatest guitarists
of the last century.
(Source: 2005 Punmaster's MusicWire) ¶ 12/26/2005 08:44:00 PM
