Conference napalm::guitar

Well, I decided to go to this show on a whim, to check it out. Boy, am
I glad I did! Jeff Healy was really good!!!

First, there are a couple things to tell you about a Jeff (I found all this
out after I got there). He is a guitar player from Canada, and plays in 
the blues/rock style of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. But with
two notable exceptions. 

First off, he has been blind since the age of one. He plays most of the 
set while sitting down in a chair. 

Second, he does not play like a standard guitar player. Instead, he lays
the guitar flat on his lap, and forms chords with his left hand without
wrapping it around the neck of the guitar. In other words, his pinkie
is closest to the nut, while his thumb is closest to the bridge. It is
*very* strange watching this! But if you closed your eyes and just
listened to the music, you couldn't tell the difference at all.

The music? Well, it's not something you haven't heard before, but it
was very well executed, and the originals were well written. A few
covers were also well done ("Foxey Lady", "White Room"...). And he
even got up and walked around the crowd during the encore (led by 
some roadies)! For those who are interested, he played a Strat thru
a Marshall amp (didn't get a look at any effects - sorry!).

All in all - a good investment of $1.00! (They didn't bother to collect
the 4 cents from me!)

Alan S.

    There's something about him in a recent guitar magazine, maybe GP.
    Guys like B.B. King are raving about him.  He's also supposedly
    featured playing in the soon-to-be-released movie "Roadhouse".
    
    ps says in the mag that that's a Squire Strat he's strummin
    

    Yes, it's definitely GP, either the September or October issue.
    Wish I could have been there.
    
    joe.

re: -1

>    Wish I could have been there.
    
The Boston Globe reported that he will probably be back in Boston next 
month. Keep an eye out!

Alan S.

    I caught the tail end (� song) of a live performance of his on MTV
    yesterday.  I'd read about him, but had never seen/heard him play.
    
    As was mentioned, it's nothing you haven't heard before, your standard
    kickass blues/rock (don't get me wrong - he was very good, had a
    very nice tone), but he was *fascinating* to watch.  Many blind
    musicians that I've seen (Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles) rock from side
    to side as they perform. This guy rocks forward to back; quite a sight 
    with his hair flying.
    
    I don't know if I'd buy an album by him, but I'd sure buy a video.

    Rodney M.

    I saw that same MTV inter/view/performance.
    
    I'd echo what's been said.  The main things that stuck me:
    
    1) You'd never ever know he was playing the guitar that way.
       You could almost criticize him for not taking advantage
       of the unqiue opportunities that playing that way must present.
    
       Many of the riffs were sorta blues cliches in fact.
    
    2) It IS amazing to watch
    
    3) He is definitely a hot guitar player.  Plays very flamboyantly,
       very clean and with lots of soul.
    
       By contrast, I consider Stanley Jordan a novelty.  I always hear
       tons of imperfections and mistakes in his playing (uneven notes,
       bad timing, etc.).   Perhaps I should be amazed that he can play
       that way at all, but that doesn't cover up flaws.
    
       And I just don't find WHAT Jordan plays to be very original,
       or interesting.
    
       Healy may not be original, but he is NOT a novelty.  You listen
       to him, and hear a great electric blues guitar player and you
       don't much think about how it's done.
    
    		db

    Has he got an album out ? If so, what's it called ? What label ?

    See the Light, Arista at least here in the USA.
    
    Joe

    
    
>        See the Light, Arista at least here in the USA.
         
    ...and though I haven't seen it yet, a friend who owns a record
    shop told me it was due to be released in the UK last Monday. Fraid
    I don't know if it's on Arista here too...
    
    Nick

    Saw the Jeff Healy Band at Nightstage last night, my jaw is still
    on the floor!  To say I was blown away would be an understatement.
    It's interesting that people have said things like "its nothing you
    haven't heard before".  I guess that's true in the sense that Jeff's
    playing is deeply rooted in the blues-rock style, but I haven't
    heard anyone since Hendrix who demonstrated such awesome command
    of the instrument or whose playing sounds so fresh and alive.  Seeing
    Jeff Healy live does beg all sorts of comparisons to Jimi, but as I
    heard someone says last night "it's like Hendrix without the
    sloppiness".  His control and use of dynamics are stunning; its like
    a horn in that his playing seems to "breathe".  He's also a master of
    that Hendrixian way of playing interesting rhythm fills darting in and
    out of the verses.
    
    I'm sure the fact that he's blind and plays in an unorthodox style
    will cause a lot of people to check Jeff Healy out just for curiosity's
    sake.  So be it if that's what it takes to get him the recognition he
    deserves.  Maybe instead of Yngwie clones, we'll start to see a
    wave of Healy clones!  I agree with previous comments in that his bizarre
    style seems to have almost no bearing on his playing; you can imagine
    him just as easily playing the stuff he does with a normal technique.

    If you're a reader of Guitar notes, see this guy if he comes to
    your town, you won't be disappointed.  I usually try to avoid hyperbole
    in notesfiles, but in this case it's justified.  At 22, Jeff Healy can
    do everything I've ever dreamed of doing on guitar.  He's the next
    Hendrix.  Maybe better.

    /rick

    
    A friend of mine went and also was pretty blown away.
    
    BTW he says all of Jeff's Strats were Squiers.

    	His album...See the Light Jeff Healy Band is pretty impressive
    also and can be had at Strawberries. 
    
    	Lots energy and feeling.......
    
    							Rick
    

    Squier strats with Evans pickups
    Jackson Doubleneck (sounded noticably inferior to the Squiers IMO)
    Marshall 2203 100W Master Volume Lead amp (unmodified, I think)
    a few generic pedals (MXR flanger, Boss Eq, etc.)

    I saw Jeff Healy 2 1/2 years ago in Vancouver BC , I was there for
    the expo and then just popped into a local bar and he was jamming
    away - I'de naturally never heard of him before.  Can't believe
    the guy is only 22 now - but really glad to see that he's "making"
    it, especially considering how most of the music from the 80's has
    been----
    
    Roy MacKinnon/kbo-germany

    
    I saw him in seattle, washington at the backstage and it was the
    best rock(?) I'd seen in quite a while.  It was like listening to
    Hendrix, Morrison and Lennon all rolled into one.  A lot of music
    came out of him.  		
    I first saw him on Canadian Sat tv.  Anik 1/tranx 6 Muchmusic a
    couple of years ago.  
    
    BTW, hi to another McKinnon.
    
    Jim McKinnon @seo
    orcas::mckinnon_ja
    
    
    

    Has anybody heard the new album?  I heard 1 cut off it last night on
    'ZLX and the guitar was great.  It was a sort of cover of 'While My
    Guitar Gently Weeps'.  The album supposedly came out the Friday before
    Memorial day???
    
    
    Joe

    
    	I saw an interview with him on MTV last night. Seems like
    	Mark Knofler (sp?) wrote a song for the new album. I've heard a couple
    	of cuts from it and it sounds great. I also hear that Bonnie
    	Raitt and The Jeff Healy band are touring this summer.
    	
    	Dave.

    I heard the new song That Jeff and Mark play together, look-out!
    Jeff wields some mean blues licks.  Its hot.

    
    I heard "Love you too Much".  I think Jeff's singing has gotten better
    too.  He's got that "Ooowww, Baby, Baby" thang down real good.  
    
    ;^)

    Yeah, the new album is pretty hot.
    
    Scary ....

    A little more than 2 years later...
    
    Time to dust off this note...
    
    Anybody here anything from/about Jeff Healy???
    
    Inquiring minds want to know :-)
    
    Joe

    	I saw him in concert on July 1st, he smoked!!! He said something
    about working on a new album to be out within the next decade or so. I
    guess he bogged down with record company red tape....
    
    
    FJE
    

    re: -1
    
    His July 1st concert.....how 'bout a little detail?  His Band,
    equipment, the mix, the crowd, the place, etc.....?  He usin' a strat
    on his lap?  I saw a photo of him standing up with sum kinda spear
    shaped headstock, once.....
    
    Funny this should come up...I listened to his "See the Light" album
    just last week on the way home from Vacation...1st time in a year or
    so.....he DOES have great lix!
    
    Steve

    While foolin around and plinking with my my guitar on my lap,
    I happened to try to play like Healy. Certainly is different but one
    thing became abundantly clear - you can get one hell of a bend/vibrato
    in that posture.
    
    "sakman"

    	It was a hot afternoon in Ottawa, Canada, it was Canada Day and JH
    was third last act on the bill. Yes he used that spear tipped stat like
    thing and played mostly material off of Hell To Pay. The show included:
    Confidence Man, Hell to Pay, Road House Blues, I Think I Love You Too
    Much. It also had him gettin' up and dancing around and eventually
    stepping (jumping) on his ax. And there was hell to pay when it still
    wasn't tuned when they came out for the encore (slow guitar tech). No
    problem, he tuned it up then wipped into See the Light. Man!!! I
    wouldn't want to sit like that in front of two Marshalls....
    
    

I thought Jeff Healy endorsed Jacksons?  As a matter of fact I remember seeing a 
cool double neck on his lap that was connected at the tip of the headstock
(bottom headstock was reversed)...

Jmystr

Endorse ??  I dunno about that - but he most definately plays a double neck
Jackson that you described...  FWIW - I don't think Jackson does endorsements.
Probably why they aren't selling too well. 

Do you realize you can get brandie new Jackson soloist for less than a grand ?
Eeeesh.
jc

    
    	When we saw him live, he didn't play no steenking Jacksons.  
    	A black squire strat was it!  His rendition of See the Light was
    	powerful as someone noted earlier - a blind dude singing See the 
    	Light with lasers showering down a la Strange Invaders.  yikes!
    
    	-pat

He played one on RoadHouse (a killer movie for sure!)...
And the few times I'd seen him on MTV/Letterman...

A cool lookin' axe for sure...
Like two soloists mirrored together...
jc

    When I saw him live, he used the twin-neck Jackson, but only on one or
    two numbers...
    
    ...if I remember right, he also uses it on the live video...
    
    Nick

    
    
    Anybody buy the new album.  I notice it doesn't seem to be widely
    available...
    
    
    Joe

    which one ..New??
    
    FJE

    
    	Heard a tune on the way to work this a.m. - "Cool little
    	number".  Yikes!!  Fabulous tone, feel, and emotion!!
    	I only hear the last 2 minutes or so but it ripped!
    
    	Had a ZZ Top feel to the vocals but the guitar was light
    	years better (to me).  
    
    	Anyone else?
    
    	Tom
    
    
    

    Love his tone on "Cool Little Number."

    Like his tone on *everything* he does......
    
    8^)

    I heard that last week. Great tune. I was a bit surprised when they
    announced that it was Healy. Some pretty impressive stuff, there. If
    Jeff does more tunes of that caliber, I might just buy one of his
    albums.

    --Ron

    RE: -1
    
    Ron,
    
    I didn't hear Jeff's REAL talent *unitl* I bought one of his albums! 
    His *released singles* don't really showcase his powerful blues style
    IMHO.  Kinda like Gary Moore......if I'd have heard "Oh Pretty Woman"
    before I heard "Still Got the Blues for You", I'd have purchased his LP
    earlier.
    
    Steve

    I have his first 2 albums and the first is the better of the two,the
    2nd is a bit more rock orientated while the first is blues powered.I
    have still to get the 3rd album but I'm sure I will.
    
    
                                                staynz

    
    Quickie review of Jeff's third album.
    
    It is more like his first than his second album.  My wife thought
    "Cruel Little Number" was "Confidence Man" from the intro of it.  He
    still stays with the blues but the sorta title song includes a rapper
    something I'm not into.  He also plays acousitc on the album.
    
    Overall I liked it.  If I get around to it, I'll post a tack by track
    review.
    
    
    Joe