The Grammy's in the mail (not)
Guitar great Albert Lee won't get his award until he fills out the paperwork
A man who clearly enjoys his night job, Albert Lee will demonstrate what he has learned about the guitar over the past 50 years when he ably abets local blues-rockers Dynamo Jump tonight at Yolie’s in Ventura.
A contemporary of all those great British guitar players in the silly ’60s, including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Dave Edmunds, Jeff Beck, Peter Green and the rest, Lee was just another skinny kid listening to American music and learning plenty. All of those rock stars have different styles and Lee turned out to be just as good as any of them; the Grammys he’s earned are proof of that. Lee won his latest Grammy early this year for playing on Brad Paisley’s all-star country instrumental, “Cluster Pluck.”
Lee is sometimes confused with Alvin Lee, the frontman from Ten Years After, a band that made a big splash at Woodstock. Although these Lees share similar names, their styles are completely different.
Lee has been around for a while and has some stories to tell. We let him do just that during a recent phoner.
Hey, Albert, how’s the guitar biz these days?
Pretty good, I must say. I’m 66 years old and I never dreamt of doing this all my life. I hoped I would be. I’m busier now that I’ve ever been.
I’ve scarcely seen a man that enjoys his work as much as you do.
I do. I’m lucky really. I really enjoy the music. No complaints, really. The alternative isn’t inviting.
Where do you suppose the guitar solo fits into rock ’n’ roll history? When the drum solo starts, people go to the bathroom or start talking, but when the guitar solo starts, you seem to have their undivided attention.
Well, yes and no. I must say that people take guitar solos for granted now. Guitar styles change and people expect different things from the guitar now. I’ve never been one for heavy distortion and sustain, you know?
Right. You’re Albert, not Alvin.
Yeah, exactly, yeah. I can understand where the bigger audiences want to go see those metal bands, those stadium bands. Maybe I don’t fit into that; I don’t know. I certainly have a following. A lot of people like what I do, and I like what I do. I’d rather play like me than anyone else, even though there’s some great, great players out there. I just love the style that I do, you know?
It’s got to be nice to have Eric Clapton say that you’re “the greatest guitar player I’ve ever heard.” That’s got to look good on that ol’ resume.
I think that was a misquote. I know he loves my playing. We’re old mates. We’ve known each other for 45 years, but I think maybe that was taken out of context. It does make me feel a bit uncomfortable. I don’t know if it’s gotten back to him and made him feel uncomfortable, but there’s a lot of great players out there and they’re playing different styles.
How’d you become a guitar player and who knocked you out when you were a kid?
When I grew up we were listening to Doris Day and Guy Mitchell and then all of a sudden there was Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly. I guess the first guy that started us off in England was Lonnie Donegan, who was playing skiffle music. It was a simple kind of folk music with a jazz rhythm section and he was just playing simple chords. He kind of excited us, you know? And that’s how a lot of us of my age started playing. Once we picked up a guitar, we listened to the rockers and went on from there and did our best to copy them. We didn’t really see that many people in England. Eventually, Chuck Berry came over, then Duane Eddy and Eddie Cochran. The Everly Brothers toured a lot. Jerry Lee Lewis. It took a while for it all to filter down to us.
How did you get to be a country music fan?
I heard a few things on the radio over there. A few things filtered in, you know, and I started to borrow this stuff because I really wanted to play it. I eventually formed a band in the late ’60s, but I soon realized that I wasn’t going to make a living playing country music in England.
What was it like being a guitarist in the ’60s in England with all those other greats?
We all came up in a very short period of time, playing the same circuit. We all knew each other and still run into each other and it does still amaze me that all these guys were hanging around London around the same time, you know?
How cool was it to be in The Crickets?
Oh, it was a great honor. I was a huge Buddy Holly fan. I still love those records. I ran into those guys around ’72 or ’73 and ended up playing with them for a couple of years. We did a couple of albums and I’m still kind of involved. If they get something special that comes along, they give me a call. It’s an honor to be an honorary Cricket.
How did you get involved with the Everly Brothers?
I wasn’t involved with getting them back together, but I was certainly there. I think they’d hardly spoken for about 10 years. I knew them both. I’d met them in the ’60s. In the ’70s when they were separated, I was working with Don and actually was singing Phil’s parts — I was an Everly Brother for a little while — but I hoped that if they ever did get back together, I could do one gig with them, you know? We did the Royal Albert Hall in ’83 — a big reunion concert and a big success — and they called me up and told me they were going to do an album and go on the road and I was really surprised. And that lasted for more than 20 years. They’ve pretty much retired now. I think Don wanted to carry on, but Phil was having trouble hitting the high notes. I know he does miss the camaraderie, hanging out with the guys. Don pretty much keeps to himself, but Phil was just like a member of the band. We’d hang out and go out to dinner. I really miss those days.
What’s the difference between being the sideman and the frontman?
I became a frontman just over 20 years ago. I’d always sung a song or two in all the bands I’ve been in, but a friend of mine, Gerry Hogan, asked me to play this steel festival and invited me to do a set. He put a band together for me and, after it was over, I thought, “That was fun. I want to do this again.” So we carried on. I’m still working with him and most of the same guys 20 years later.
How did winning a Grammy change things for you, or did it?
It hasn’t really, but it’s a nice thing to have on your resumé. I’ve got two now, you know? I got one with Brad Paisley earlier this year, but I haven’t picked it up yet. If I fill out the paperwork, they’ll send it to me, but I’ve been so busy.
The Grammy’s in the mail?
The Grammy is in the mail, yeah. I must not forget about that.
Where’d you meet the Dynamo Jump guys?
Some of the guys used to come out to that bar in Agoura that I used to play sometimes. I got to know Jerry (McWorter) there, and it’s just gone on from there. Whenever I’m in town, I do some gigs with them, and it’s always good fun.
