Jamer Burton International Guitar Festival

[Hamerica]

Warning - This is going to be long - It may bore some. You can stop now or grab your Hamer and strum while reading.

How many times have you ever decided that you just weren't going to go somewhere only to change your mind at the last minute and go? The reason for changing your mind is unknown but something or someone "guided you" to the decision.

With gas prices hovering at $2.59 - $2.65 cents per gallon, I had more than second thoughts about going to seeing another "guitar festival" that was a little over 3 1/2 hours door to door. Especially when I am broke and not making any major purchases and the Arlington Guitar Show is less than 2 months away. At 7:25 a.m., I pull out of my driveway.

A History Primer in Electric Guitar - Chicken Picking Style

James Burton guitar player extoridinare was having a statue unvailling at the Municipal Auditorium in Sherevport.

Most people know that James Burton was Elvis Presley's guitar player.

But Did You Know,

- that he (Burton) was also the guitarist underneath little Ricky Nelson? (No relation to our Rick Nielson) Seems that James is the man that overdubbed any miscues and the leads so Ricky could concentrate on singing.

- that he was a stuido artist for Jerry Lee Lewis, he worked on many recordings at Sun Records.

- that he worked with the great Roy Orbison?

- that he played guitar for and with Merle Haggard?

- that he had over 100 million best selling record recordings in his lifetime?

- that he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

If James winds up reading this. I will have to say he is one of the most humble, down to earth, nicest guy you would ever want to meet. His family is that way, his friends are that way and his staff is that way.

Last piece of history - The Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport is the place were that announcer had to say "Elvis has left the building" too keep the crowd in control and too leave in a civil fashion. The announcer himself talked about the building and it's history.

The guitar show itself was quite small. There was one Hamer there a Centura for less than $400. The Demonstations were all first hand talent. All of the players are great but I wanted to meet just one - Greg Koch. (those that know, know why).

Then, I got the bonus, or the bakers dozen or lagginappe (sp). The best part of whole event was that in the parking lot, I had spied a local boy with a G&L shirt on. Now, I happened to remember some of those Cajuns like G&L and since I had met Cajun Boy and Foodermon, I had a good idea who this was.

As I walked into the hall, said G&L guy had beat me up to the opening doors and now was facing me. Good God!!! It was our own Jeff R, whom I have not been able to meet in person due too many numerous reasons to count. I have always wanted to meet him as he leans to the harder side of the rock vein, had a band called the Oswalds, attended Poelapolozza, and anyone that knows Southerns, they just are great hosts when you are in their part of the country. After he asked about whom I was and what my screen name was as I was wearing a vintage HFC shirt his smile was bigger than mine and that is something to say.

Forget Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - I got the Golden Ticket. (If you are Cajun or know them), You can add F'n' where ever appropriate.

Jeff then asked me if had I had purchased a ticket for the concert later on Saturday I told him not yet and he informed me that he had me covered. It gets better kids.

We walk in in time to see Greg Koch. Now for those who haven't seen Greg (Crossroads in Dallas, Fender Endorsee, Hal Lenoard Insctructor for SRV Dvds and others) I suggest that you check him out. Now Jeff was not familar with Greg but after two songs (Spank it) being one, he had back on that cajun (o)possum eating grin. Roseoe Beck on bass and Hillary on drums (Robben Fords Drummer)It got better. Johnny Hiland came up and played. Then it got sick - Jeff announces we have to leave to go get Kiz and Willie G. Mosely to take them to lunch.

We go to the hotel and knock and Kiz's room and he looks well like Kiz surprised that I was there. Willie is very much into the people side of the business and has lots of questions about Hamers and other vintage guitars, amps, effects and his stories are quite good.

After going to a restuarant for lunch that had no beer - THEY RAN OUT LAST NIGHT DUE TO THE Guitar festival - huh? It's news to some that bands and their followers might drink.

Statue unvailing - press room to see the James Burton Fender guitar. 25 prototypes given to Artists for donating their time. This was VIP - Press only

I got to meet Hartley Peavey. That was great. We talked business.

Thanks again to Mr. Jeff R.

The show was unbelievable. There will be a DVD. Five hours of performances;

Johnny A

Dr. John

Johnny Rivers (Secret Agent Man) - thank you

Eric Johnson

Jeff Skunk Baxter

Steve Cropper

Steve Wariner

The Nelson's - Performing Dads hits

Doyle Dykes - Kiz calls wife asks her to smash all his gear

Jerry Donahue

Sonny Landreth - Kiz got baptized in some slide that night.

Greg Koch / Roscoe Beck - Kiz no longer said "Who dat"

Seymour "Scream'n" Duncan

Johnny Hiland - Kiz calls wife asks if gear is smashed - good, "now set it on fire."

That would make it anyones night. Right?

Then it was the icing on the cake. Mr. Jeff handed us the Special Guest Sponsor Reception Passes Invitaiton Only - Artists, Guests, and Family only.

It's 1:45 a.m. and were going to a garden party!

Besides most of the Artists, it was very personal for the foundation and their friends. It was very cool.

I can't think Mr. Jeff R. enough. I owe him big time! I can't say that enough. I had a great time.

It was great to see Kiz again. (Thanks guys for the Cult sampling in the room and the MICRO CUBE!)

My pleasure to meet Willie G. and Greg Koch.

I decided to drive back home and arrived at 6:15 a.m.

The next time something tells you to go - go with it. I was reminded of a lyric in a song by the RHCP - "This life is more than just a read through."

AMEN!

[BTMN]

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. What a day!

[cmatthes]

Well worth the read, Brian!

Thanks for sharing - wow, Sonny Landreth, Johnny Hiland, Greg Koch alone would be enough, but day-um!

[gwayne]

Cool story. JeffR is a great host. I'm praying that him and CajunBoy will throw an HFC crawfish boil. That will be over the top.

[thecajunboy]

Good report there Brian. Me and Foodermon were gonna make teh trek up there, but he had some things going on and I ended up having to go into work Saturday morning.

[Jeff R]

That was indeed an incredible day and evening and very early morning. The pleasure was all mine, BB, and I look forward to a trip to DFW in the future to spend some time on your stomping grounds.

The ride back to the swamp from the festival was four and a half hours and the CD player stayed off the ENTIRE DRIVE. I still suffer from sensory overload and absolute personal frustration with my own playing after seeing the crop of talent we saw.

Having this lineup under one roof, you really had to see it and hear it to believe it. I spent half the concert just sitting there stupified watching these guys play. I, too, might as well just take all my gear and pitch it because I will never be able to do some of the stuff these guys were pulling off, no matter how long or hard I try.

I got home from work last night and tried to emulate some of the stuff I saw those guys do and ended up casing the guitar after 30 minutes. I just gave the hell up.

Look for the Jeff R. gear fire sale in the near future hahahaha

[BCR Greg]

I have never like the way that I play, so I am immune to such fears.

Mebbe next year they might need another published photographer or two....

[Willie G. Moseley]

First and foremost, my hat's off to Jeff R, tambien. A true professional in his occupation.

One thing Brian wasn't in on was a unique opportunity to examine an electric guitar that was hand-made (probably in the '50s) for La. Gov. Jimmie Davis (1899-2000) of "You Are My Sunshine" fame. The more I got into it, w/ Jeff and, er, Kiz providing additional commentary and suggestions, the more fascinating the instrument became. It's one of the most bizarre instruments I've ever encountered.

That was icing on the cake before most of the "cake" was consumed, as the dissection of the Davis guitar occurred on Friday morning. As a journalist I tend to pay close attention to events in a different way---sometimes there's a story in something, sometimes not, and sometimes I feel like I'm too much of a "human VCR" to be able to enjoy a particular event, but it goes with the territory. But the Burton weekend was indeed a memorable, possibly once-in-a-liftime occurrence.

I don't want to get too detailed about the Burton events here, as I have to write about it for VINTAGE GUITAR soon. Brian's on the money about his own observations, though. Watch for a report on the Burton-fest as well as a separate article on the Gov. Davis guitar in upcoming issues.

WGM/VGM

[BCR Greg]

Aw, COME ON WILLIE!!!

Give us a LEETLE bit more than that! LOL

Kiz is nuts, ya know.

[Buzzy Fretts]

Sounds awesome. Landreth will be passing thru NJ tomorrow nite. I'll be there. (And thankin whatever HFCer gave the heads up a year or so back when he played the bottom line. )

[Guest pirateflynn]

I went to school with James' son Jeff Burton. He's a year older than I and drove a bitchin blue '63 Stingray in High School. The last time I saw Jeff was at Willy Noble's house on Tuxford Ave playing "From the Beginning" with his band (he is a good player in his own right) but I have seen his Dad a few times since then right here in my own neighborhood at Don Cuco's resturant in Burbank, Ca.

James Burton is a legend!

[kizanski]

Five Beds in Eight Days:

Thank you Louisiana!! We love you!!

I'll be starting a seperate thread for this, but I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Jeff "REEE-SHARD" Richard for his tireless efforts and for taking me all over the great state of Louisiana, getting me full VIP/Press access to the Burton Concert and Birthday Party, inviting me into his home (he has THE BEST family!), and acting as Tour Guide, chauffeur, travel agent, and drinking partner.

Eight days with me should have been enough, but Jeff didn't show it.

Make no mistake, people: Jeff might act like a coonass (notice the interjection of bayou slang) on the message board, but in the state of Louisiana, Jeff just happens to be The Man. You need something? You're searching for a contact? Need access to this or that? Say "REEE-SHARD," and it gets done.

Also, thecajunboy hisself put Poe and I up for the night and served us not one but two fabulous meals that rivaled the food that we had in New Orleans, which I have decided is the best food you can find on the planet.

To experience all of this (much more to come on this in the next few days) with the likes of JeffR, Foodermon, thecajunboy, Hamerica, and Poe made this one of the most enjoyable and memorable weeks of my life.

After I catch up with my wife and my life, I plan to start a new thread chronicling The '05 Kizanski Louisiana Tour: A Spankin' Yank in the Swamp.

Stay tuned.

[tombo]

Wasn't Brad Paisley supposed to be there?

[kizanski]

Wasn't Brad Paisley supposed to be there?

He sure was.

(I was pretty close).

Funny thing: I had plenty of room in the photographer's pit to move around freely throughout the show. Once Paisley came on (he was the headliner), it seemed that every pretty girl in Shreveport had a press pass and a camera.

Not that I blame them. I had never heard of this guy before, but he is obviously the whole package. He's good looking, he can sing, his songs are just "Pop" enough in a country kinda way, and he can PLAY.

I was going to tell the story about the eight days that I spent there but considering what the people there are about to go through, I feel that it wouldn't be apropriate any longer.

Suffice it to say, there are a hundred stories related to the 3 day Burton event alone.

Edited to add: Steven Seagal did NOT attend...