Cabin Fever (Lenny Breau album)
Encyclopedia
Cabin Fever is an album by Canadian
guitarist Lenny Breau
, released in 1997.
's Guitarchives label includes an interview with McDonald discussing the background of the recordings. Others close to Breau dispute the location and claim these are recordings made in a home studio in Toronto.
Production notes:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
guitarist Lenny Breau
Lenny Breau
Leonard Harold "Lenny" Breau was a musician, guitar player, and music educator. He was known for blending many styles of music including: jazz, country, classical and flamenco guitar...
, released in 1997.
History
Breau had continual drug problems from the mid 1960s, which he only managed to get under control during the last years of his life. At one point, his friend Glen McDonald claims he isolated Breau in a remote cabin to help him straighten out and it was during this time he recorded Breau, resulting in these informal tracks done on solo acoustic guitar. This issue, on Randy BachmanRandy Bachman
Randolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
's Guitarchives label includes an interview with McDonald discussing the background of the recordings. Others close to Breau dispute the location and claim these are recordings made in a home studio in Toronto.
Reception
Writing for Allmusic, critic Ken Dryden wrote in his review: "The lack of formal studio post-production adds to the appeal of this disc because the listener gets the feeling of being Breau's sole audience, so an occasional warmup passage or bit of conversation don't prove to be distracting... this CD is an excellent place to start an exploration of his brilliant musicianship."Track listing
- "Lenny's Warm Up & Improvisation of Autumn LeavesAutumn Leaves (song)"Autumn Leaves" is a much-recorded popular song. Originally it was a 1945 French song "Les Feuilles mortes" with music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert. Yves Montand introduced "Les feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes de la Nuit...
" (Lenny Breau, Joseph KosmaJoseph KosmaJoseph Kosma was a Hungarian-French composer, of Jewish background.-Biography:Kosma was born József Kozma in Budapest, where his parents taught stenography and typing. He had a brother, Akos. A maternal relative was the photographer László Moholy-Nagy, and another relative was the conductor Georg...
, Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, Jacques PrévertJacques PrévertJacques Prévert was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain very popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. Some of the movies he wrote are extremely well regarded, with Les Enfants du Paradis considered one of the greatest films of all time.-Life and...
) – 7:05 - "Lenny's Mood" (Breau) – 2:14
- "East Side" (Breau) – 1:34
- "You Came to Me Out of Nowhere" (Green, Harris Heyman) – 4:29
- "What Is This Thing Called Love?What Is This Thing Called Love?"What Is This Thing Called Love?"is a 1929 popular song written by Cole Porter, for the musical Wake Up and Dream. It was first performed by Elsie Carlisle in March 1929. The song has become a popular jazz standard and one of Porter's most often played compositions.Wake Up and Dream ran for 263...
" (Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
) – 7:48 - "Days of Wine and RosesDays of Wine and Roses (song)"Days of Wine and Roses" is a popular song, from the 1962 movie of the same name.The music was written by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. They received the Academy Award for Best Original Song for their work...
" (Henry ManciniHenry ManciniHenry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
, Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
) – 10:33 - "Lenny's Mode" (Breau) – 6:56
- "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny BurkeJohnny Burke (lyricist)Johnny Burke was a lyricist, widely regarded as one of the finest writers of popular songs in America between the 1920s and 1950s.-Biography:...
, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 6:30 - "Celtic Dream Stream" (Breau) – 5:19
- "Interview with Glen McDonald" – 6:22
Personnel
- Lenny Breau – acoustic guitar
Production notes:
- Randy BachmanRandy BachmanRandolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
– executive producer, liner notes - Dave Jewer – artwork, design
- Marty Kramer – research