Les Paul: Celebrate the legend, revel in the legacy

Gibson kicked off celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Les Paul model with Les Paul the guitarist in the spotlight Monday night at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. Les was joined onstage by Gibson Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, rock icon Slash and jazz guitar great Al Di Meola at his regular Monday night gig.

The performance by the 86-year-old guitarist with his trio and surprise guests highlighted an evening of festivities that included a special presentation of a Gibson Custom, Art & Historic 1952 Les Paul Goldtop with engraving that read, "Celebrate the legend. Revel in the legacy. Gibson pays tribute to the one and only Les Paul." Les was also presented with a proclamation from New York City declaring Monday, August 13th to be "Les Paul Day."

"Les Paul is not only Americas most popular guitar player," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Musical Instruments. "He is a leading innovator in guitar and electronic design. He has been experimenting with electric guitars for as long as there have been electric guitars."

The New York City festivities were the first of a series of guitar events to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Gibson Les Paul model.

Les Paul was already a well-known guitarist by the 1940s, when he became the leading proponent of the solidbody electric guitar, playing a homemade instrument he nicknamed "The Log." His electronic innovations, such as the six guitar parts he played on his 1948 hit "Brazil," would earn him recognition as the father of multi-track recording and a Technical Grammy this year. His million-selling recordings with his wife Mary Ford, including "Mockin Bird Hill" and "How High the Moon," made him the most famous guitarist in the world by the time he and Gibson joined forces in 1952 to design Gibsons first solidbody electric guitar.

The Les Paul model changed the image of the solidbody guitar from a simple plank of wood to an elegant, stylish piece of art. Except for an updated bridge and humbucking pickups, the Les Paul Standard of today is still the same American-made guitar that Les and Gibson introduced 50 years ago.

The Les Paul has been the driving force behind many changes in popular music, powering the blues rock sound of the late 60s and southern rock in the late 70s. In the new millennium, the Les Paul is providing signature sounds for every genre of popular music from alternative to metal to jazz.

The crowd gathers outside the new Iridium Jazz Club at 51st and Broadway in Manhattan.

Jimmy Vivino and his band from the Conan O'Brien Show plays for a private VIP reception.

Slash and Les Paul

Gibson Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz presents
a custom-made Les Paul to Ron Sturm, owner of the Iridium,
to commemorate the opening at his new location.

Henry presents a 1952 Les Paul Goldtop reissue to Les Paul.

Henry and Les share stories and laughs with the sold-out crowd.

Les studies one of the proclamations from the Mayor's office.

The Les Paul Trio starts off the set with Lou Pallo playing rhythm on a Les Paul Custom,
Paul Newinski on bass and Frank Vignola on lead and rhythm guitar.

Les and Slash

Henry and Les exchange some licks during the jam.

John Parris joins the group on harmonica and vocals.

In the second set, Les gets caught in the crossfire between Al Di Meola and Slash.

At the jam's climax, Russell Malone and Mark Whitfield join in
on a Les Paul Custom and an ES-175.

Everyone poses for a group photo, including Antonia Bennett, Tony Bennett's daughter.