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All Steelbender web site
content ©2000-to the present Jason A. Barker unless otherwise noted
All Rights Reserved by
Jason Barker. Web content may not be reproduced or distributed without
expressed written consent by Jason Barker.
Last Updated (1/4/04)
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| Slowhand:
Eric Clapton Tribute Concert- Cat's Cradle
(December 2003)- We had an enjoyable time paying homage to the music of Eric Clapton at the Cat's Cradle in North Carolina. The Cradle is now a smoke-free venue...so no cigarettes sticking up from guitar headstocks were to be found anywhere. |
| Stinger in action: Jason Barker, Chuck Cotton, Chris Carroll w/ special guest Eddie Berman (October 2003)- [Any Bar, USA] what would a bar be without the pre-requisite dartboard and tv set? They didn't start throwing darts at us until the third set so that's why the board is empty in this photo. It was a great thrill to share this evening with Eddie Berman...a wonderful guitarist...and of course, Chuck and Chris are favorites of mine to play with. |
| Les
Paul party at Greg Germino's house: 3 beautiful Tom Murphy '58 Plaintops
(September 2003)- Greg Germino had just moved into his new house and decided to throw a party. Instead of "Bring Your Own Beer"...it was "Bring Your Own Les Paul". Only about 50 of the '58 Plaintop Historics were made and we had three of them together that evening. |
| More
from the Germino party: Jason with '58 Plaintop Les Paul
(September 2003)- Here I am holding my Les Paul...I am enjoying this guitar very much. Plaintops have a cool vibe and I tend to prefer them over the fancier flamed variety...maybe it's simplicity. |
| Performing
with Chris Carroll
(October 2002)- Chris and I have played together for a number of years. Here we are performing at a friend's wedding reception. It was one of those crisp fall days where it was hot under the sun but freezing in the shade. |
| Onstage
with Stacey Strickland
(August 2002)- Stacey has been a friend of mine for many years. Here we are performing in Durham, NC for an event sponsored by a local radio station and the Durham Parks and Rec organization. |
| Live
in concert
(August 2002)- Another shot from an outdoor festival in Durham. |
| Jason
with bassist/vocalist extraordinaire Chris Carroll
(August 2002)- The tree behind us is sadly gone now but Chris and I still remain. Chris is one of the most talented musicians I've ever played with and I always look forward to sharing the stage with him. |
| "Suzie
Q", Ricky Nelson, Elvis, pink paisley..etc... Jason with the Master of
the Telecaster : James Burton
(July 2002)- James Burton is a guitar god...I'm managing a company's booth at the NAMM show while the owner went to take a break. I remember demonstrating a pedal for an interested customer and somebody starts asking about it from behind. I turned around and...WHOA! It was James Burton! Then he wants me to play something with the box! Yeah. Right! Let's just give this guitar thing up right now. What a super nice guy! He was always the "man with that pink guitar" who played with Elvis when I was a kid. I saw him play with Elvis in person at one of my very first concerts. |
| Yes,
he is tall. Posing with Will Ray of the Hellecasters
(July 2002)- Will Ray is another insanely-gifted guitarist. He has a sense of humor...both personally and in his music. |
| Visiting
with Danny Flowers in Nashville, TN
(July 2002)- Danny is genuinely one of the nicest musicians I've met...he's a great songwriter and guitarist. He's famous for being the author of "Tulsa Time"...but his talent goes way beyond one song. I've had a chance to visit him on several occasions and he's a pleasure to be around. He also uses Carr Amplifiers and knows how to make them sing! |
| The
Tele Terror: Johnny Hiland
(July 2002)- An absolutely frightening guitarist...but wonderfully gracious. He's probably the closest thing I've seen to Danny Gatton in terms of raw emotion and technique on the Telecaster. I always make a point of trying to catch him if he's playing in Nashville when I'm there. |
| One
of my favorite bassists: Dave Pomeroy
(July 2002)- A stalwart on the Nashville session scene. When he plays the bass, he looks like he's riding a surfboard in a typhoon....he's trying to hold on for dear life. I've never seen him fall off. |
| With
the Ace of Bass: Victor Wooten
(July 2002)- I'm not sure that there's anybody more technically proficient on a bass guitar than Victor Wooten. He's amazingly creative and excels either by himself with the bass or in an ensemble, such as his work with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. |
| I
love this guitar: a 1960 double-cutaway Les Paul Jr.
(June 2002)- This was taken on a visit to Washington, DC. I often try to stop in at Southworth Guitars in Bethesda, MD just to see what they have. The prices are high but it's so much fun to play vintage guitars and amplifiers. I had a craving for an LP Jr. at the time. I never satisfied it....almost walked out with this one but decided to move on. It was a really good one...but something said "no." |
| Late
Night Blues in a Raleigh, NC nightspot:
(June 2002)- This was taken during one of the "Blue Monday" gigs that Carter Minor and I hosted twice monthly for a year at Bogart's in Raleigh, NC. Very classy nightspot/restaurant with plenty of ambience. |
| From
the Carr Amps Gallery: Me and my trusty Rambler
(June 2002)- The wind-blown look! This was taken at a show overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and resides over in the Carr Amplifiers' Users' Gallery. My little Rambler amp is one of the most favorite musical items I've ever owned. |
| Jason
& the incomparable Pete Anderson [Dwight Yoakam, Gun Dog]
(September 2000)- Quirky, bluesy, twangy....wonderful feel....Pete Anderson is a great musician and recording engineer. |
| 12-Strings
of Strat Mayhem: Tommy Hartley & Jason
(July 2000)- Tommy Hartley and I always seem to end up working on projects through the years. People have always said he looks like Eric Clapton. You be the judge. |
| Carter
Minor, Chris Carroll, Bobby Johnson & Jason
(July 2000)- A variety group known as "The Sultans". |
| Checking
out some cheap and ugly guitars with Kevin Neely
(July 2000)- Actually, neither one was cheap. Kevin's holding a limited edition PRS and I've got one of Terry McInturff's creations in my hand. |
| Visiting
an old friend: Jason Barker & A2Z bassist Frank Lewis
(June 2000)- Frank Lewis and I used to play back in the 80's and 90's in an original trio called A2Z. We try to stay in touch with each other occasionally. He hates it when I call him "Thunderthumbs" so I won't do it here. |
| Sitting
down with one of my favorite axes... my ES-335
(2000)- I've had this 335 for the better part of a decade...it was made in the Gibson Custom Shop. I don't think I ever wanted a guitar as badly as this one when I saw it. I referred to it as my "World Peace Guitar" because I thought if I could have that guitar...everything in my life would be right...there would even be world peace. Though I've wanted many since then, to this point...that was the last time I ever had that "kid in the candy store" longing for a guitar. I love that feeling...but only when it can be fulfilled. |
| Having
a happy moment with a Telecaster
(2000)- I know....it's a stupid photo. It's staying though for some reason. |
| Making
friends with a rare Dumble Overdrive Special amp courtesy
Bill Richardson
(July 2000)- Dumble amplifiers are some of the most desirable and mythical musical products ever made. Most guitarists never get the chance to be in the room with one, let alone play a Dumble. Bill Richardson kindly let me spend some time with his. I've been around several Dumbles...they are all unique and can be exquisite musical extensions of the player. |
| Dueling
Klein Guitars: Jason Barker & Eddie Berman
(2000)- Indoor Storm's Eddie Berman turned me on to Klein Guitars....they are hard to come by and feature the ultimate in ergonomic comfort. I had mine with me on the day that he happened to get another one in stock...so I figured a fun little photo was in order. |
| Jason, Cyril
Lance, & a bunch of old amps
(2000)- Cyril is one of our area's foremost guitarists...he's recorded a terrific solo album backed by some nationally-known talent. We've both been past members of Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos. Here we are hanging out at Cyril's with some of Leo Fender's & Jim Marshall's classic creations. |
| Discussing
"Unknown Hinson" with Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers
(1999)- Oteil and I had a great time talking about things that made other people look at us like we were crazy (well.. I AM crazy). Unknown Hinson...do you know him? Even if you did, he'd still be Unknown. Time to Google if you don't. Anyway...did you know that Oteil had a part in one of my favorite movies of all-time? He played Lolo in Peter Sellars' "Being There" when he was a kid. Oteil is an awesome musician and a very easy-going guy. |
| Getting
serious with Robben Ford
(1997)- What do you do when the Fender rep calls you up and says "Hey, Robben Ford's coming into town and I'm going to be in Florida for the week....do you think you could pick him up at the airport, drive him around for a few days and generally help him out?" "Uh....duh...uh...let me check my calendar. I think I have to fluff my pillows this week. I'll get back to you." Robben is simply one of the greatest guitar players to ever grace the earth. I had no trouble accepting this assignment. |
| Socializing
with two people I admire... Jeff Weatherspoon & Jimmie Vaughan
(1999)- Jimmie often gets overlooked as Stevie Ray Vaughan's older brother....let me tell you right now...Jimmie is EVERY BIT the guitarist that SRV was on a lot of levels. He's got a more reserved and quirky style but he is DEEP. There was a moment when we were talking about his amplifiers and he said "I don't know what they are. I just play them." Whether he was joking or not...that about sums it all up. I love his music. |
| Completely
exhausted after a gig with 100+ degree heat with W.C. Clark near Philadelphia
(1999)- Talk about sweating! It was so hot during this show in Pennsylvania that I'm surprised the photo didn't melt. My new strings were dead the minute I opened the guitar case. W.C. Clark may not be a household name to many but he's an incredibly soulful singer and guitarist who's been a fixture on the Austin, TX scene for years. He gave Stevie Ray Vaughan a slot in his band and subsequently authored the hit "Cold Shot." I love that instrumental jam he did with SRV on an "Austin City Limits" episode where he's playing bass and going toe-to-toe with Stevie. W.C. was very kind to me and offered a lot of encouragement about my guitar playing. Little things like that mean a lot and I remember them. |
| Jason and Eric
Johnson
(1990)- I guess we're onto a Texan theme here. Eric Johnson...a true virtuoso with the guitar. I remember him as being very thoughtful and gracious with his time and talent. When you look up the word "tone" in the dictionary, you will find Eric Johnson as one of the definitions. |
| Chris
Carroll, Kelly Pace, Jason & the World
(2000)- Another trio gig with Chris Carroll and Kelly Pace. Kelly is highly-regarded for his drumwork and has toured the world with a number of acts...a class-act musician. I was able to brush up on my geography between songs. |
| Terrorizing
a backporch near you- Stacey Strickland & Jason
(1999)- Stacey is one of the sweetest people I know. She loves music and has a generous spirit. She operates a horse farm with riding therapy classes for autistic and underprivileged children in North Carolina. |
| Pizza by
the slice! Blue Coyote duo- Jason & Harvey Arnold
(1997)- Harvey achieved his fame as a member of "The Outlaws" back in the late '70s. The first time I saw him perform, I said to myself "I want to play music with that guy." I don't think I've ever played with a more natural talent...a wonderfully powerful singer and perfectly tasteful bassist. Of all the acts I've played with, I'm very proud of what we did in a duo format using drum sequencing...because we overcame an obstacle of a drummer shortage and created something that went above and beyond the normal duo you might find in smaller venues. |
| Jason Barker
& Randy Murphy live
(1997)- I met Randy back in the Blue Coyote days and we've maintained a steady friendship ever since. Randy has played with a number of successful regional acts including the Virginia/DC area's famous "Good Humor Band", which the legendary guitarist Danny Gatton would often join. Some of the best times I have musically are when Randy and I experiment in the studio...just playing and creating songs. |
| Jason
Barker & Randy Murphy dead
(forever)- rimshot. |
| "You guys
play better than you look!"- Blue Coyote-
Cary, NC (1997)- I should write a book with some of the things audience members have said to us over the years. True story....we're playing in a bar and I guess the sounds we were making didn't quite match up with how we looked...just three average guys off the street...but then again it's not like we were going to put on makeup and seven-inch heels (maybe we should have). The guy comes up and says "You guys play better than you look." I guess it was a compliment. |
| The Purple Pimp
Suit! A2Z live
(1992)- I didn't mind dressing up for shows...I've always thought that musicians should try to look unique depending upon the occasion...looking back, I might've overdid it here but I remember having lots of fun with this garish purple suit I used to have. |
| Rockin'
for the Red Cross- Blue Coyote
(c. 1995)- This was one of my favorite incarnations of Blue Coyote with Harvey Arnold and Ray Wilburn. Ray was this drummer from Texas who looked and sang a bit like Meat Loaf. Great personality and super-talented. I was in San Antonio a few years ago and talked to him...that's the last I heard from him. Ray...if you've got your wife off the phone yet and have an Internet connection....send me some e-mail by clicking here. |
| Tradin'
riffs with Sonny Landreth
(1996)- Sonny is conceivably the greatest slide guitarist living on planet Earth today. His talent is mind-boggling. We both recorded the guitar parts on Mel Melton's "Swamp Slinger" album. At this time, he's maintaining a solo career and also playing with John Hiatt and The Goners. |
| Jammin'
with Kenny Soule
(1999)- Kenny's been one of the most in-demand drummers in NC forever it seems. He gained a degree of fame with Nantucket, PKM and DAG among others. At last word, he'd been working with Walter Trout and Popa Chubby. He plays in a style that I refer to as "the hard kind of simple" and I always look forward to playing with him. Here we are tearing it down in 1999. |
| Festival
on the Eno with Mel Melton
(1996)- Why do outdoor festivals always have to be so damn hot? The Festival on the Eno is a big annual July 4th celebration in Durham, NC. I played this one with Mel Melton. |
| Frank Lewis
& Jason Barker of A2Z
(1991)- You know by the picture that this had to sound good. Even if it didn't...it kinda looks like it should have. |
| Stinger!
Chris Carroll, Kenny Soule & Jason
(1999)- I love playing with these guys. |
| Sittin' in
with Trick Bag-Tommy Hartley, Dave Braswell, Billy Belk
(1999)- Trick Bag is a long-time R&B trio from the Triangle area of NC. Tommy, Dave and Billy are all nice people to play with. I'm appreciative of the times they've asked me to sit in with them. |
| Relaxing
with Duke Robillard & friends
(1997)- Duke is a guitarist I admire very much from his days in Roomful of Blues and The Fabulous Thunderbirds to his career as a solo artist. He is a primo roots guitarist who can rock with the best of them in roadhouses or take any jazzer to school as evidenced by his collaborations with Herb Ellis. He also gets some of the best tones out of the cheapest gear. |
| Take the
A2Z train!
(1991)- Just what we need....another band with a train as the backdrop....but hey...we were young and foolish. The difference now is that I'm just not as young. |
| Jason
& Carlene Carter
(1990)- Carlene is the daughter of the late June Carter Cash. She has that unmistakable Carter Family character in her voice. One of the most affable and sweetest performers I've met. I think she's been battling some tough times lately....I hope she rebounds and gets back on track. |
| Blue Coyote
with invisible guest Jagermeister-
Wilmington, NC (1995)- It's a long story. Let's just say we had a really nice time. |
| Playing sub
shops makes me hungry!
(1997)- I really enjoy playing in venues where you would normally not expect to hear live music. We'll go just about anywhere. Bakeries...pizza shops...laundromats (I use a particularly clean tone there...ba-dum-bump)....This was the Blue Coyote duo at a sub shop....yes, a sub shop. Hold the meat....wait...that didn't sound right. Hold the pickles and the lettuce. Thank you and good-night! |
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![Jason & the incomparable Pete Anderson [Dwight Yoakam, Gun Dog]](http://www.steelbender.com/pictures/jasonpete2b.jpg){kind=link}
