‘JAIME’ [Don’s Tunes/Route Books]

Robbie Robertson

Remembering Robbie Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023)

The Band - "Up on Cripple Creek" live at Wembley Stadium 1974

"I can't say that there's anything new, guitar-wise, that I find particularly stimulating. Some people play tremendously, but for some reason I'm not moved by it. Most of the things that fascinate me, have been fascinating for quite a while — in jazz, of course, I like Django Reinhardt, the innocence of that guitar playing. Today, I just don't hear anybody doing those things. Roy Buchanan plays very nice, always has. And Fred Carter, the guitarist I replaced with Ronnie Hawkins, was a terrific player at the time. But there are so many players of some years back, that I can't even start naming them.

Fender is comfortable for what I have to do, but I think Gibsons are better-sounding guitars. It's just that for what I'm trying to do, Fender is physically better for me. At one point I went from a [Fender] Stratocaster to a red B.B. King-style Gibson. I liked the way it sounded, but the string height and the shape of the body prevented me from doing some things that I'd grown accustomed to — for instance, it wasn't comfortable for my fingerpicks.

I went to Telecaster for ten years. I had one for a couple of years, then someone stole it. A friend of mine who is actually a thief stole me one back. I used it eight years and still have it. I have several others for specific things, but I ended up going back to the Stratocaster. Now I have an early Fifties Strat built without the string stretcher. Those are a problem for me with intonation. Like if I'm playing rhythm on the bass strings and I'm picking on the high strings, when I'm stretching notes it makes the bass strings go out of tune.

Steve Caraway / Guitar Player Interview 1976

Photo: David Attie/Getty Images

Don's Tunes

Robbie Robertson was born as Jaime Robertson in Toronto, Ontario on this day in 1943. 

When all the bells were ringing.

All the boys gone now . . . . . Garth the last to go and we really miss them . . . . . one of the best bands I ever saw live (Wembley 1974)

Route

"Mystery Train" - The Band live at Wembley Stadium 1974

and THIS is why I have been obsessed with Mystery Train ever since this version

They blew everyone else AWAY that day!

I once said so on social media (Flickennabok I think) and rec’d a smiley face comment from the page purporting to be Garth! I like (choose) to think it was him! 😉😎

💜 Rest easy now guys!