Lenny Breau Guitar Tab Books, Instruction DVDs, Solos, Arrangements, Video Lessons

    Lenny Breau was born on August 5, 1941 in Auburn, Maine and was discovered by top country guitar player Chet Atkins in Winnipeg, Canada. Regarded by numerous jazz guitar players to be the most innovative guitarist to have actually appeared on the jazz music scene in the 1960s, Breau lived for most of his life as a recluse. This was mainly due to his drug habit and the associated physical and mental problems that accompanied it. His recordings definitely prove that he was a fantastic, multi-faceted, and very imaginative jazz guitar stylist!

    Lenny Breau began to play the guitar at the age of seven. By the time he was twelve he had the ability to play on a professional level 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. Breau listened to the recordings of many of the leading guitar innovators of the 1950s consisting of Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, and Johnny Smith.

    However, the unique style of guitar playing that Lenny eventually developed was most directly affected by the fingerstyle approach of country 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 player's distinct ability and signed him to record an album for the RCA label. After the success of his first recording for RCA, Breau spent some of his time residing in Los Angeles. There he obtained prominence in jazz circles when he performed at drummer Shelley Manne's jazz club, "The Manne Hole" and other jazz clubs.

    In the late 1960s Breau returned to Toronto, relocating to Winnipeg in 1973 up until 1975. For numerous years he lived in Killaloe which was likewise in Canada, however rarely made himself available for 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 sporadic club dates. From 1977 - 1981 Lenny made some new recordings which once again made evident his huge amount of talent.

 Lenny Breau Plays "Lullaby Of Birdland"

    At this point in his career Lenny Breau was playing a 7 string guitar built to his own specifications. This instrument had an extra treble string, a high A, instead of the extra 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 seminars. He likewise wrote a regular instructional column (edited by Jim Ferguson) for Guitar Player Magazine. He appeared regularly every Monday night performing with internationally known jazz guitar player Tal Farlow at the legendary Donte's Jazz Club.

    On August 12, 1984 Lenny was found dead in what was originally thought to be a swimming pool mishap. Later evidence suggests that he was murdered. Lenny Breau, although unknown to the typical jazz music enthusiast, is acknowledged by guitar players as well as those jazz artists who performed with him as one of the most creative and important jazz guitarists of all time. He was likewise an unbelievably versatile guitar player as well playing country, flamenco, folk, concert classical, and Indian music with the very same mastery and level of excitement as he played jazz!

 Lenny Breau Plays "I'll Remember April"

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