Sue Baker

Having worked and lived in Waukesha, Wisconsin for decades, Sue Baker was curious about the story of the Wizard of Waukesha. She met Les Paul while she was executive director of the Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum. Les shared hundreds of hours of stories about his youth and beyond with Sue on their long phone conversations, during several visits at Les’ home, and backstage at performances. As their friendship grew, Sue conducted extensive research on Les’ connection to Waukesha, learning details and background stories about Les and his family.

Joel Brennan

Joel Brennan is the President & CEO of Discovery World in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just minutes away from the birthplace and boyhood home of Les Paul. Discovery World is a Museum and Educational Center that celebrates innovation, creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit and motivates visitors to have an impact on the world around them. Since 2008, Discovery World has been home to “Les Paul’s House of Sound,” a unique interactive exhibit and experience that showcases the life of Les Paul and inspires visitors to find the little bit of Les Paul that resides in all of us. Discovery World is committed to developing more “tinkerers” who embody the spirit and ethic of Les Paul.

Christopher Lentz

Just a friend of Les who graduated from the School of Visual Arts in N.Y.C. with a B.F.A. degree in photography who got to take a master class in life from the man who changed music. jjj

Lou Pallo

Born Louis Oropallo in Haledon, NJ…Became interested in playing guitar when I was 14 years old…My two idols were: Les Paul and Tony Mattola…I started doing gigs at age 16 years old, playing weddings, banquets, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. with the Rythm Boys…entered the USAF after graduating high school…and performed with the Air Force shows, along with Jerry Van Dyke….upon honorable discharge, from that point on this became my career, playing with various groups….then along came Les Paul.

At present, after the death of Les Paul, I am now leading the Les Paul’s Trio at the Iridium every Monday night along various other nights at different gigs.

Jon Paris

Jon Paris has toured nationally and internationally with an impressive list of artists that includes Bo Diddley, Johnny Winter, Robert Gordon & Link Wray, Chris Spedding, Johnnie Johnson, and former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor. He’s also backed Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Phoebe Snow, Hubert Sumlin, the Uptown Horns, and Elvin Bishop, to name just a few. All the while Paris has maintained his own New York City-based Rock’n'Blues band. They perform regularly at the B. B. King Blues Club in Times Square, and at clubs, casinos, and concerts on the East Coast (from Maine to Florida), the Mid-West (Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago, Milwaukee’s Summerfest, the Toledo Bluesfest), and Canada (the Montreal International Jazz Festival). Paris has headlined in Norway, Sweden, Israel, and South Africa. He’s opened concerts for Little Richard, Buddy Guy, Etta James, Dick Dale, George Thorogood, Brian Setzer, Southside Johnny, Jonny Lang, Little Feat, Cheap Trick, and more; and he rocked at Harley-Davidson’s 90th, 95th, 100th and 105th Annniversary Celebrations.

Jon Paris’s recording credits include sessions with Bob Dylan, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Ron Wood, and John Hiatt. He’s jammed on stage with most of his heroes: Muddy Waters, B. B. King, Freddy King, Scotty Moore, Dr. John, John Mayall, John Hammond, Cornell Dupree, Luther Allison, Jack Bruce, Noel Redding, John Entwistle, the Yardbirds, Gregg Allman, Steve Miller… the list goes on. Paris was a featured guest with Les Paul, the-father-of-the-electric-guitar, at Les’s regular Monday night shows in Manhattan, and at Les’s 90th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall.

Jon Paris’s songs appear in such major motion pictures as The Naked Gun 2 1/2 and 33 1/3, My Boss’s Daughter, Scary Movie 3 and 4, and Shall We Dance. His critically acclaimed CD “Rock the Universe” features eight of his powerful Blues and Rock anthems; and the latest Jon Paris CD “Blue Planet” contains more of his Blues-drenched rockers, as well as Paris’s own unique versions of some great Blues classics. www.jonparis.com

John Paulson

John Paulson is a creator of award-winning documentary and music programming. He directed the concert film “Les Paul Live In New York,” and the performance-documentary, “Les Paul-Chasing Sound,” which received a Primetime Emmy nomination, a Hugo Award and the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for “Best Music Documentary in Television,” and is now in worldwide distribution on television and home video. Formerly a filmmaker with Smithsonian Productions, Paulson specializes in films about music, history, performing arts and cultural traditions. His acclaimed film on Woody Guthrie was the central feature of an exhibition that toured the country.

Jeff Salmon

In 1984 I was living in Manhattan. One night I was walking along Third Ave and passed a club called Fat Tuesday’s. I had been there to see many of the jazz greats over the years, but tonight the sign said “Appearing Every Monday Night The Les Paul Trio”. I thought to myself, “that could be a really interesting show”. I was a guitar player. I loved “Chester and Lester” (the album Les made with Chet Atkins) and I knew the song “How High the Moon” and Les Paul and Mary Ford. About five or six weeks later I finally made it to a show. All I can say is that that night changed my life. For the next few years you never had to ask where I was on a Monday night. I was hooked. Every night was a different experience. Les was the ultimate showman and really knew how to “play” a room.
Over the years we became friends and it was a relationship I will treasure forever. He was an amazing human being.

Ron Sturm

General Manager/Partner, Iridium Jazz Club, New YorkRonald Sturm established the Iridium Jazz Club in 1993 and it quickly became one of the premiere jazz clubs in the world, featuring the best rising stars and musical legends in an intimate performance space. From 1996-2009, Les Paul- “The Father of the Electric Guitar” played every Monday night, which lead Steve Miller to say, “the Iridium stage is hallowed ground.” Such legendary talent combined with a Meyer sound system (fine-tuned by Les himself) have established the Iridium as one of the world’s most historic and yet modern music venues.

In June 2010, Jeff Beck officially dedicated the club to Les Paul while recording a series of unforgettable concerts with Imelda May at The Iridium during what would have been Les Paul’s 95th Birthday. The Les Paul Trio continues to hold court every Monday with a variety of very special guest guitarists- including icons such as Todd Rundgren and Steve Miller –artists that represent the depth and breadth of Les Paul’s influence. Sturm is grateful to have considered Les Paul a friend, and is committed to perpetuating Les’ legacy through his work with the Iridium and the Les Paul Foundation.

Iridium is located at 1650 Broadway (and 51st St.), in New York City. For reservations call: (212) 582-2121, or visit: www.iridiumjazzclub.com.