Linc Chamberland

Linc Chamberland
Birth name Lionel Victor Chamberland
Born (1940-09-13)September 13, 1940
Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.
Died June 24, 1987(1987-06-24) (aged 46)
New York City
Genres Jazz, rock, jazz fusion, R&B
Occupation(s) Musician, teacher
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1961–mid 1980s
Labels Muse, Roulette, Mainstream, A&M Horizon
Associated acts Gotham, Dave Liebman, The Rascals

Lionel Victor Chamberland (13 September 1940 – 24 June 1987) was an American jazz guitarist born and based in Norwalk, Connecticut. After playing with The Orchids in the 1960s, he stopped touring, became a private teacher, and performed regionally. Tommy Mottola, who in 1990 became the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, called Chamberland "one of the greatest guitarist of all time." In his 2013 book, Hit Maker, Mottola said, "You won't find any mention of Linc when Rolling Stone magazine does a cover story listing their top hundred guitarists. Take from me. In 1966, you never heard anything like Linc."[1][2][3] Billy Vera, in his 2017 autobiography, referred to Chamberland as "the Telecaster genius."[4]

Music career

Beginning around 1962, Chamberland was the leader of an R&B band called The Orchids.[1][5] His objection to touring was the result of bad experiences while touring with The Orchids. In 1971, musicians formed a horn band called Sawbuck whose members included Schuyler "Sky" I. Ford (1947–2001) (vocals), Frank Vicari (who replaced Dave Liebman) and Pee Wee Ellis (saxes), John Eckert and John Gatchell (trumpets), Chris Qualles (bass), Linc Chamberland (guitar), and Jimmy Strassburg (drums).[6] The band cut a record in 1972 with Motown under its new name, Gotham.[7] Other names of the band included "Gasmask" and "The New York Street Band."[8]

Death

Chamberland died from leukemia at age 46 on June 24, 1987, in New York City.[9]

Guitars

Chamberland played a 1953 Fender Telecaster. In his search to get exactly the sound he wanted from the guitar, Chamberland modified it. From the top down, the guitar had Grover heads, a 1957 Stratocaster neck, Humbucker pick-ups, and a Gibson bridge and tailpiece. The bottom portion of the body was milled out to fit these last two things. Chamberland also modified the internal wiring. He had his bridge set abnormally high, raising the strings far off the fingerboard. This gave him his very distinctive clean tone, an example of which can be heard in his playing on "The Cat's Meow" (1965, The Orchids). The raised bridge required additional finger strength, particularly on high notes. In its original version, the Telecaster had the stock Fender bridge and tailpiece. In order to get the height on the strings that he wanted, Chamberland stuck popsicle sticks under the bridge to raise it higher.[8]

According to Tommy Mottola, other guitarist couldn't play Chamberland's Telecaster because of the way Chamberland modified it. He also replaced the E-string, the bottom one, with a banjo A-string that he bent to almost the top of his Telecaster. Mottola says that there was no way to bend a guitar string like that because of the tautness. But the banjo string was so thin that it allowed Chamberland to create his signature R&B style. Mottola said, "Nobody, nobody, nobody had a sound like Linc's."[1] The Telecaster is currently owned by Bob Maclauglin, one of Chamberland last two students.[8]

In 1975, fed-up that R&B had gone pop, Chamberland purchased a 1960s Gibson L-5 from Arthur Betker (1950–2009) and performed on it for his two jazz albums for Muse Records. The L-5 is now owned by guitarist Paul Sullivan, Chamberland's student during the late 1970s. Sullivan is a guitarist and music educator in Brooklyn.[8]

Discography

As leader, LPs

  1. A Place Within, Muse MR5064 (1976)[10][11]
    David Liebman (tenor and soprano saxs) on the title track, "A Place Within" and on "1957"; Lyn Christie (bass); Bob Leonard (drums)
    Re-released in Germany as Dave Liebman, What's New? Tobacco Road – B/2553 (1981)
  2. Yet to Come (with David Friesen) Muse MR5263 (1981)[10][11]
    Chamberland plays without Friesen (with overdubbed guitar) on 2 tracks: "Yet to Come" and "Autumn Leaves"
    Other musician: Gary Hobbs (drums)

As band member, LPs

  1. Gotham: Pass the Butter, Motown (1972)
    Chamberland plays electric guitar and composed and arranged 6 of the 11 tracks
  2. Twistin' at the Roundtable With the Orchids, Roulette (1961)

As sideman, LPs

  1. Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra: Hard Mother Blues, Mainstream MRL305 (1970)[11]
    Also released under the album title Screaming Mothers[11]
    Trumpets: Ray Copeland, Lloyd Michaels, Joe Newman, Snooky Young
    Trombones: Dave Bargeron, John Gordon, Jack Jeffers (de), Benny Powell, J. William (Billy) VerPlanck (1930–2009)
    Woodwinds: Hubert Laws, Billy Mitchell, Joe Temperley, Chris Woods
    Rhythm: Frank Owens (de) (piano); Arthur Bitker, Billy Butler, Linc Chamberland, David Spinozza (guitars); Chuck Rainey (bass); Grady Tate (drums)
    Arranger/director: Ernie Wilkins
  2. Giant: What's In This Life For You, Mercury (1970)
  3. The Rascals: Peaceful World, Columbia (1971)[12]
    Chamberland: Guitar, rhythm guitar, arrangements
    All tracks were re-released in a 1992 compilation by The Rascals, Anthology (1965–1972)
  4. David Liebman & Pee Wee Ellis: Light'n Up, Please! A&M Horizon SP721 (1976)[12][11]
    Musicians: David Liebman (tenor & soprano sax, flute, electric piano, percussion); Pee Wee Ellis (tenor & soprano sax, electric piano, percussion); Richie Beirach (piano); Chris Hayes (guitar); Tony Saunders (bass); Jimmy Strassburg (drums, percussion); Linc Chamberland (guitar); Jumma Santos (congas); Leon Thomas (vocals)
    Chamberland plays electric guitar on 2 of 9 tracks:
    2) "Children of the Ghetto"
    5) "Got to Work"

As sideman, singles

  1. Bobby Lindsay and the Orchids, Rotate Records[lower-alpha 1] (1965)
    Side B: "The Cat's Meow"
    Composed and arranged by Chamberland
  2. Gary Carl & The Orchids, Philips 40476 (1967)
    Side A: "Baby Stay And Make Me Happy"
    Paul Leka, music
    Audrey Nagy, music
    Chamberland, arrangement

    Side B: "You'll Get Yours Someday"

    Gary Richard DeCarlo (1942–2017), music
    Dale Frashuer, music
    Chamberland, arrangement

Audio samples

  1. "The Cat's Meow," by The Orchids (audio via YouTube)
    Written and arranged by Linc Chamberland
    On the track, Chamberland creates a vibrato using only fingers. There was never a whammy bar on his old Telecaster. His volume work at the beginning and at the fadeout is done with his little finger on the volume control.[8]
  2. "I Hear a Rhapsody," from the album Yet to Come (audio via YouTube)
  3. "Children of the Ghetto," from the album Light'n Up Please (audio) via YouTube)
  4. "Got to Work," from the album Light'n Up Please (audio) via YouTube)

Students

Family

Linc Chamberland's son, Scott L. Chamberland (born 1961), is a saxophonist and in 2012 became the owner of New Milford Music Center in New Milford, Connecticut.

Linc Chamberland sometimes spelled his nickname "Link", and some published references incorrectly spell his last name "Chamberlain".

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ Rotate Records was a label of Colpix/Columbia Screen Gems.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mottola, Tommy (29 January 2013). Hit Maker: The Man and His Music. Grand Central Publishing. pp. 23–. ISBN 978-1-4555-0543-2.
  2. ↑ Hermann, Mark (9 December 2013). "Missing Linc: An Open Letter to My Great Mentor". Rock and Roll Zen. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "The Tommy Mottola Nobody Knows," by Timothy White, Billboard, Vol 113, No. 30, July 28, 2001 (retrieved October 27, 2017, via ProQuest at search.proquest.com/docview/227124520)
  4. 1 2 Billy Vera: Harlem to Hollywood, by Billy Vera, Backbeat Books (2017), pps. 37 & 45; OCLC 960940460
  5. ↑ "Hawiaan Life's TV & Radio: Questions," by Bert Darr, Hawaiaan Life (section of the Sunday Honolulu Star-Bulletin), May 6, 1962, pg. 9 (retrieved October 29, 2017, via newspapers.com at www.newspapers.com/image/269986947)
  6. ↑ Who's Who in Rock Music, Entry: "Gasmask," William York (ed.), Charles Scribner's Sons, 1982; OCLC 8034627
  7. ↑ Liebman, Dave; Porter, Lewis (2012). What it is: The Life of a Jazz Artist. Scarecrow Press. pp. 139–. ISBN 978-0-8108-8203-4.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Linc Chamberland, Master Guitarist," by Rich Blechta, RickBlechta.com Mystries & Music (website of Rick Blechta), August 1, 2004 (edit April 2, 2013) (retrieved October 26, 2017)
  9. ↑ Motown Encyclopedia, Entry: "Gotham," by Graham Betts, AC Publishing (2014), pps. 202–203; OCLC 907947717
  10. 1 2 "Linc Chamberland" (discography), AllMusic (retrieved October 30, 2017)
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 The Jazz Discography Online, Tom Lord (ed.), Lord Music (retrieved February 20, 2014); OCLC 182585494, 690104143
  12. ↑ The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, Entry: "Bickford, Bill (William Campbell)," Leonard Feather & Ira Gitler (eds.), Oxford University Press (1990; paperback 2007), pg. 146; OCLC 587764760
  13. ↑ Jazz Guitar Mastery, by John Stowell, Mel Bay (2005), pg. 3; OCLC 226844029, 71716501
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