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Post by the Scribe on Dec 30, 2020 9:03:01 GMT
Danny KortchmarDanny KortchmarStoryophonic Podcast
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Even if you don’t know his name, you know his sound: you’ve heard Danny Kortchmar’s magical guitar on tracks with legends like James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, and Bob Dylan. As a songwriter, he’s collaborated with Don Henley and Jackson Browne, and he’s produced projects with a roster that includes Billy Joel and Neil Young. Now touring and recording with Immediate Family, Danny Kortchmar plugs in on this special episode sponsored by Roland Corporation, Boss, and Universal Audio.
Danny 'Kootch' Kortchmar: Legendary Guitarist & Producer - Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro
Produce Like A Pro
589K subscribers
➡️➡️Learn more about Danny Kortchmar here: bit.ly/2ZMG8Ve
Danny ‘Kootch’ Kortchmar’s résumé is outstanding! As a renowned guitarist, producer, songwriter, and session musician, Kootch has played, produced, and written for artists like James Taylor, Don Henley, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, and Jackson Browne.
As a songwriter, Danny has worked on projects like Don Henley‘s “Dirty Laundry,” “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” and “New York Minute,” as well as Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” and “Shaky Town.”
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 14, 2023 20:31:32 GMT
Danny Kortchmar: My Career in Five Songs
By Joe Bosso published December 09, 2020
The session legend reflects on a 50-year career playing with Jon Bon Jovi, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, and more.
(Image credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
In a remarkable career that has spanned 50 years, Danny Kortchmar has recorded with an astonishing array of legends, including Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon – and, as the saying goes, the list goes on!
Hailing from New York City, the guitarist cut his teeth in the late 1960s playing Greenwich Village clubs in such groups as the King Bees and the Flying Machine (which featured a pre-Sweet Baby James James Taylor) before he headed to Los Angeles to try his hand at the studio-session scene. As he explains, his timing couldn’t have been better.
“Things were changing right as I got to L.A.,” Kortchmar says. “The Wrecking Crew were still cutting records, but there was this new batch of players coming in – friends of mine, like Waddy Wachtel. We were different; we were rock and blues guys. And we were perfectly suited to the kinds of records that were coming into fashion.”
As Kortchmar describes it, during most of the ’60s, L.A. sessions were business-like affairs, at which songs were cut in three-hour morning and afternoon blocks.
“Everybody was punching the clock, and most of the action revolved around producing singles,” he says. “But in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the emphasis shifted to albums, so you had producers like Peter Asher and Lou Adler making records with Carole King and James Taylor. They would bring us in for what turned into complete projects. It was an exciting time. I got to be deeply involved in the creative process.”
He laughs. “And I got my name in the credits! That never happened with the Wrecking Crew guys.” Kortchmar admits the demand for session guitarists isn’t what it used to be.
“It’s a whole different lifestyle these days,” he says. “You’ve got people making records at home, and they’re doing things remotely. A lot of the studios are gone.”
Learn how to back up a singer. It’s a skill set that too many people are uninterested in. They want to shred as fast and loud as possible. That sort of thing won’t get you hired
But he does have some advice for younger players hoping to get into the game. “Learn what a good song is,” he says. “Learn how to back up a singer. It’s a skill set that too many people are uninterested in. They want to shred as fast and loud as possible. That sort of thing won’t get you hired. Give me George Harrison any day.”
In addition to his session guitar credits, Kortchmar has distinguished himself as a songwriter and producer.
His work includes co-producing a trio of Don Henley albums (I Can’t Stand Still, Building the Perfect Beast, and The End of the Innocence), for which he collaborated on the writing of such songs as “Dirty Laundry,” “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” and “Sunset Grill,” among others.
These days, Kortchmar is back playing with some of his studio pals, including Wachtel, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Steve Postell, in a band called the Immediate Family.
“It started out as a solo project, but it quickly became a band,” he says. “We’ve done a lot of touring, and we have an album of all-original tunes coming soon. I’m prouder of it than anything I’ve ever done.” But these five tracks collectively form a very close second.
more www.guitarplayer.com/players/danny-kortchmar-my-career-in-five-songs
“It's Too Late“ – Carole King ('Tapestry,' 1971)
“Hurts So Bad“ – Linda Ronstadt ('Mad Love,' 1980)
“Driving With Your Eyes Closed“ – Don Henley ('Building the Perfect Beast,' 1984)
“I Will Not Go Quietly“ – Don Henley ('I Will Not Go Quietly,' 1989)
“Blaze of Glory“ – Jon Bon Jovi ('Blaze of Glory,' 1990)
“Hurts So Bad“ – Linda Ronstadt ('Mad Love,' 1980)
“People called Mad Love Linda’s new-wave record. There was some resentment about it from a lot of the L.A. people, but I didn’t care. I loved the new-wave stuff. I was listening to the Clash and the Ramones, so when we went in to rock a little more, I was all for it.
“I knew this tune from the Little Anthony and the Imperials version. The original was all strings and kind of a pop arrangement, but when Linda decided to do it, we pumped up the jam and made it more rock. One of the things I did was mimic the Imperials’ background vocals with guitar parts. I would kind of answer Linda where the singers would have come in.
“I think we played everything live. The solo was fun. I always tried to fit the mood and the emotion of the song. I would listen to the lyrics and the context, so I just went with my gut and started blasting away. I had to match the power of Linda’s vocals, so I knew I had to go big. It was all spontaneous.
“Linda and [her producer/manager] Peter Asher are both very astute and knew what they wanted. They were really happy with it, so I was thrilled. Linda has said in interviews that this is her favorite guitar solo on any of her records, which is an incredible compliment. She certainly has a lot of great solos to pick from.”
companion thread conservatism.freeforums.net/thread/9712/hurt-bad
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