Introduction
I’ve been collecting records and compact discs since I was nine years old; so I have quite a collection of music! This is the first in a series of articles highlighting my favorite recordings. This is not a “best of all” list but simply some commentary on recordings that had a deep and lasting influence on me. The articles will cover all genres of music. Enjoy!
Linc Chamberland – ” A Place Within”
The year was 1977 and as usual I was walking into the teaching studio of Guitar Guru Dick Longale on Goodman street in Rochester, New York on a Saturday afternoon. Usually when I walked in, Dick was busy teaching a student and I would take a seat on the couch and observe. I always liked to get there early to watch and pick up something new. Anyway, this particular afternoon something was different. There was Dick and three of his students huddled around Dick’s old stereo phonograph player. It was obvious something new, different and exciting was happening. They were listening to Linc Chamberland ‘s ” A Place Within”.
Dick’s ear was bent towards one of the speakers and he was mumbling something about quartal harmony. Dick kept playing “Stella by Starlight” over and over and was focused on Linc’s guitar comping supporting Dave Liebman’s tenor . I myself, was startled by what I heard……very modern sounding comping and a flurry of machine gun modal line guitar solos. It was kind of like listening to Coltrane ….but on guitar. After a half a hour of playing and replaying “Stella”, Dick turned his attention to Linc’s trio version of “What’s New”. I picked up the album cover and there was picture of a bearded Linc Chamberlain looking like some kind of “jazz monk” ……… I was intrigued. As soon as I left Dick’s studio I drove all the way to Ithaca to a music store near Cornell University and purchased the record.
- “A Place Within” – Linc Chamberland
Eddie:
Another album I have never heard. I will check out the YouTube videos.
Thanks for turning me on to something new man,
David
I remember that feeling. About the same year the older brother, a pianist, of a friend of mine was playing the same album and I was transfixed. I’d never heard anything like it, didn’t understand what I was hearing, but was intensely drawn to it. I had been taking lessons with one of Linc’s students for a number of years and had heard about him as some mythical figure. I bought the album and listened to it over and over and over, and every time I turned it over I’d hear something new, something that made musical sense. It really opened up my ears. A couple of years later I was taking lessons with another student of his who was moving to Los Angeles and was kind enough to leave me his place with Linc, who had a year and a half waiting list. I was lucky to slip in. I was expecting a soft spoken serious gentleman but he was quite the opposite. Loud, animated, cursed like a sailor, but every lesson was mind expanding. I studied with him for 2 years before I moved to L.A. myself. I must say he was an incredibly influential figure in my life. Hell of a player, and hell of a nice guy. I miss him.
Hi Fred – Thanks for your comments on Linc Chamberland………very fortunate you were able to study with him!
Thanks for the kind comments about my dad Linc. He was something else. I could never thank him enough for what he has taught me
I am lionels brotuer
to read over and over, never knew Linc (the music world called him Linc we in the hood called him Link aka missing Link) was such a great musician comes as such a wonderful surprise but not really. He was the best at everything he did. We played ball, snow ball fights, raced cars, drank beer and followed Linc and the Orchids all over Southern Ct and parts of NY.