Les Paul & Mary Ford - Bye Bye Blues (original 78 rpm)

With guitar players, even more than with most people, what goes around, comes around.  Maybe with musicians in general.  You may know that I am Mr. "All Music Is Theft," I believe that all musicians essentially recycle what they've heard.  Well, let's say most, there are exceptions, five or ten in the Twentieth Century, tops. 

Les brought something of himself to the party, but mostly he was a mirror, not a hammer.  You can hear his influences in his playing.  Les, in turn, influenced people.  In this cut I can clearly hear two tricks that Jeff Beck has used frequently throughout his career.  Maybe he got them from Les; maybe they both got them from the same place, from some other guy.  None of this is any criticism of Les, or Jeff, or anybody else.  It's just the way it is. 

But how about that Les Paul!  More below, with dream references.