It’s the Willie & Trigger show! Episode #13 is all about the great American icon, Willie Nelson, and one of the world’s most famous guitars, Trigger. Willie’s style defies categorization as he craftily blends Blues, Jazz, Soul, and classic Country to make something all his own. His famous delivery is usually about a half-beat behind the rhythm and his off-center phrasing help to create a laid-back feel with complete disregard for convention. His Martin N-20 guitar, Trigger (named after Roy Rogers’ horse (link is external)), was purchased from Shot Jackson in 1969, site unseen, after an onstage accident destroyed his previous guitar. It’s a classical guitar, but Willie asked Shot to add the pickup from his smashed electric guitar to the new Martin. Willie kept the gut strings on it, and Trigger was born! Because classical guitars are typically played with an open finger style, they don’t have a pick guard. But since Willie plays with a pick, a fairly large hole has developed in Trigger’s soundboard, adding to the uniqueness of his sound. Join us as we celebrate the greatest relationship in Country music!
We’ll play 3 tracks from his 2014 album, Band of Brothers. Then we’ll move through Willie’s songbook, playing some original Willie tunes and some fantastic covers. Some Willie solos and some duets with Wynton Marsalis, Ray Charles, Susan Tedeschi, Asleep at the Wheel. We’ll play a few classics and a few more obscure tunes. An hour is not enough to do justice to my favorite artist, but it’s going to be fun trying!