Filmed live at what was then the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on February 8, 2006, A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood presents a parade of artists offering their thanks to the man who was a virtuoso musician, electric guitar trailblazer and inventor of unprecedented recording techniques. The concert is available on DVD starting tomorrow (Sept. 8) via MVD Entertainment. (Order it here.)
The show is headlined by numbers from what’s described in a press release as “an all-star slate of Paul disciples that includes Slash and Edgar Winter teaming up on the Stevie Wonder staple ‘Superstition,’ Toto axeman Steve Lukather’s rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’ and Joe Perry and Buddy Guy closing the night with a soulful blues set.” Other highlights include spirited performances by Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Neal Schon, and more.
As part of the night’s festivities, A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood also features rare commentary taken from several of Paul’s final interviews recorded at New York’s landmark Iridium Jazz Club, as well as at Paul’s home in Mahwah, N.J. The special event was held to raise funds and awareness for the South Central charity A Place Called Home, designed to give at-risk youth a safe and secure environment they can thrive in.
Related: Les Paul was born in June 1915
The program is produced by Icon Television Music, Inc., HD Net (now AXSTV), and In Touch Entertainment and distributed by MVD Entertainment Group. The production team includes Charles Carlini (Les Paul’s 90th Birthday Concert at Carnegie Hall), Bob Cutarella (Les Paul & Friends), Howard Lipp (Les Paul 90th Birthday Concert at Gibson Amphitheater), and Glenn Aveni (Les Paul Chasing Sound).
Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation stated, “It is without a doubt that Les Paul is the ‘Father of Modern Music’ and that musicians from every corner of the globe and in every genre of the music industry stand upon his shoulders. He was an inventor, an award-winning musician, an innovator and most importantly a very special man I also had the privilege of calling my friend. The artists and producers who have made this tribute program possible give us every reason to remember that Les Paul was a man who influenced our music industry profoundly. I am thrilled that viewers everywhere will have the chance to witness his greatest through the performances and storytelling of this wonderful program.”
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Watch a clip of Les Paul and Mary Ford from the ’50s
