JONATHAN FREILICH
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"No
way," he replied. "I listen to lots of music
but there is so much out there. Lately I've
been working with Peter Stampfel of the
Holy Modal Rounders, and we've been talking
about the folksters in the late '50s and
early '60s — how they got together
on stuff. At that time, you could fit all
the folk records in the back of a VW Beetle,
and that the people who were into the style
could easily have all the records. I thought
it very interesting. Times have changed
so much. It easy for two people to be well
listened, be into the same kind of stuff,
and still not have heard a large percentage
of each others most prized records."
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I
asked Freilich if the "blindfold test" selections
I chose were too familiar or obvious. |
Since
launching my GUITARVIEWS pages, I've tried a variety
of approaches to keep things interesting —
sometimes interviewing the guitarists on a particular
topic (Robbie McIntosh, Kevin Breit), sometimes
interviewing them without any one particular topic
in mind (Shane Theriot, Jim Campilongo), and sometimes
just letting the player speak for himself/herself
(Greta Brinkman, Paul Mehling). This time around,
I'm trying something different — a blindfold
test.
My
subject is New Orleans guitarist Jonathan Freilich,
who ideal for this sort if thing because he has
listened to lots of music and plays so many different
kinds so well (he's currently in bands that specialize
in jazz, klezmer, and Jamaican rock-steady —
and probably more that I don't even know of).
In addition to being a very well-listened musician,
he's also a positive, open-minded person, who
never loses sight of the "play" aspect of playing
music. All of this is reflected in his answers,
as you'll see below.
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#1) Chuck Berry, "Deep Feeling" — Blues
Masters, Volume 15: Slide Guitar Classics
BEFORE: I can never remember who this is, although
it is an old favorite. I have it on an old TDK
cassette from about 1987 that I listened to compulsively
for years — a compilation of stuff. This
is a great piece. It sounds like Jimmy Reed meets
a Texas Country Swing band.
AFTER: After you tell me, I remember. Chuck Berry.
What a player and writer. I still go in and out
of phases of compulsively listening to him. I
should take a chunk of time to get to know his
stuff even better. In retrospect, my comment "sounds
like Jimmy Reed meets a Texas Country Swing band"
really may have something to it when talking about
Berry.
#2) Lonnie Johnson, "Woke Up With The Blues
In My Fingers" — Anthology Of Country
Blues Guitar
BEFORE: That's Lonnie Johnson, I think. I love
Lonnie Johnson! What a great musical style, from
lines that really speak to a more tied-down, chord-melody
situation. Both are moved along by some old fingerstyle.
So clear. So fulfilling to listen to. This is
a song with personal statement and commentary.
#3) Merle Travis & Joe Maphis, "Freight Train"
— Country Guitar Giants
BEFORE: That's "Freight Train." There are three
guitarists here — that's my guess. Chet Atkins,
Les Paul, and Leo Kottke? Beautiful, beautiful.
Really shimmering guitar tones. Short, leaves
you wanting lots more. I loved the Elizabeth Cotten
version and the wild Lenny Breau take also. What
a song. What players.
AFTER: I really don't know Joe Maphis, but I'm
going to look into his work. As far as Merle Travis
goes I can't believe I didn't say there were four
guitarists on the track. Travis is a maniac. That
would be a hell of a "guitorchestra" anyway —
Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, and Les
Paul!
#4) The Johnny Burnette Trio [Paul Burlison,
guitar], "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" — Rockabilly
Boogie
BEFORE: Love it, though I don't know who it is.
I'm always wanting to look at more music in this
direction. I love all the echo, and the guitar
solo is great — he's really digging in. I
like the attack, and can really relate to that
kind of hardness on the instrument describing
specific feelings.
AFTER: I am noting this down right away. I'm going
to check it out!
#5) B.B. King, "Darlin' You Know I Love You"
— Live in Japan
BEFORE: There is only one who can do this: B.B.
King. I love it because of the mystery of it.
What an improvisor! So firmly stated. The phrases
have such shape and dynamic quality. I never want
him to stop playing. I want to play like that
— never running out of ideas, building in
intensity. How does he do it? There has to be
a trick!
AFTER: B.B. King is to electric guitar as Charlie
Parker is to alto saxophone! That has about as
much meaning as "Kung Pao is to chicken as Hunan
is to beef." Something excites me to write it
anyway.
#6) The Valentinos [Bobby Womack, guitar],
"It's All Over Now" — Sam Cooke's SAR
Records Story
BEFORE: Who did this version? The xylophone is
hilarious. Love the thumpety-thump, bumpety-bump
drums. Sounds like it's at a Mardi Gras Indian
practice. Xylophone thrown in as a last-ditch
effort to get radio play!
AFTER: This is the sacred Womack version which
I do not know. I am glad to have heard it. I will
be getting closer to the Valentinos also.
#7) Talk Talk, "Runeii" — Laughing
Stock
BEFORE: I have no idea. The guitar starts with
a "1983" [Jimi] Hendrix move and tone. Then a
sort of [Doors guitarist Robbie] Krieger does
"The End" droning. Then vocals like Tim Buckley.
Interesting. Describes a great feeling. In dark
shade with heavy sunlight shining just off in
the distance through a door.
AFTER: Talk Talk? I don't know them at all but,
it seems, they came up when I was living in England.
I grew up there, but was oblivious to anything
except classical music until I was awoken a little
at around fourteen years old.
#8) Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban, &#amp; "Echale
Salsita" — Mambo Sinuendo
BEFORE: I don't know what this is, but I like
it. It sounds like Hawaiian music meets [guitarist
Marc] Ribot-doing-Arsenio [Rodriguez, Puerto Rican
tres master], meets King Surfer and the guitar
player from Willie Bobo's band. Great guitar tones
again. Trem... verb... in heaps, and then we all
rest in it and relax.
AFTER: Love it, Love it. Going to buy the record.
#9) Booker T. & The MG's, "No Matter What
Shape" — And Now!
BEFORE: I like the guitar — not such a fan
of the organ. I'm always was a limited fan in
this direction. There are a few groups that I
really like, but most others remind me of trying
too hard to get hip at the ice rink. But the guitar
tone here is lovely. I wish there was more of
it.
AFTER: I like some of their stuff very, very much
— especially backing up others — but
I'm just not that into this. I hope I'm not offending
anyone.
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Jonathan
Freilich Biography
Jonathan
Freilich was born in Philadelphia, Pensylvania
in 1968, and raised in London, England and in
Los Angeles, California. After spending a couple
of years in Santa Cruz, California and a year
floating around, he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana,
where he has lived for the past 14 years.
After
a childhood stint with the cello he took up guitar
at age 15; after some key musical-exposure incidents,
he became ridiculously addicted to the instrument.
Luckily, New Orleans took him in and offered a
few outlets for a large palette of musical desires
to take flight.
Currently,
Freilich plays in the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars,
Los Vecinos, Naked On The Floor, The Naked Orchestra,
The Poor Man's Speedball, 007, The Tom Paines,
and spot gigs with a few others. Many of the bands
are recurring winners of various New Orleans local
'Best Of' awards.
In
the past, he has worked with Kermit Ruffins, Mike
Ward and the Reward, Mas Mamones, Walter Payton,
Frederick Sheppard, The World Accordion to Glenn
Hartman, Mark Bingham, Iris May Tango, Gregory
Boyd and VOS, The Square Music Band, All That,
The 32-20 blues band, The Wild Magnolias, Robbie
Robertson, Sam Rivers (in conjunction with the
Naked Orchestra), Eric Lindell, and some others.
Freilich
also, teaches yoga in New Orleans.
To
visit the Web site of the New Orleans Klezmer
All-Stars, click
here.
To visit the Web site of the Naked Orchestra,
click
here.
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