The instrumental virtuoso David Lindley died in 2013 at the age of 78. He played just about every stringed instrument I know of as well as a few I don’t (as may be evident from my guesswork below). Lindley subordinated his talent to enhance the music of the artists with whom he worked, Jackson Browne foremost among them. Jimmy Leslie’s 2024 Guitar Player retrospective offers a knowledgeable overview of Lindley’s long career.
I paid tribute to Lindley’s work in an overstuffed edition of this series. This morning I would like to try to stuff it just right, or at least more concisely, even if I lean on his work with Jackson Browne. The two of them collaborated over a period of some 50 years. See Jackson’s moving tribute to Lindley here.
Lindley’s New York Times obituary by Alex Williams seems just right to me. As for the instruments Lindley played — a few of which can be seen in the videos below — Williams put it this way:
Mr. Lindley had “no idea” how many instruments he could play, as he told Acoustic Guitar magazine in 2000. But throughout his career he showed a knack for wringing emotion not only from the violin, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer and autoharp, but also from the Indian tanpura, the Middle Eastern oud and the Turkish saz.
I first became aware of Lindley’s playing in his work with Jackson Browne. He contributed mightily to Browne’s Late For the Sky (1974). He was all over that album on guitar. On “For a Dancer” he also contributed one of the harmony vocals, but it was his work on the violin that really brought out the emotion in this song. Lindley’s artistry supported the level of Browne’s songwriting here, with its meditation on death and friendship. “Go on and make a joyful sound.”
After Lindley’s first band broke up he played with Terry Reid for a few years. Lindley backed Reid on the devilish slide guitar that winds through “Faith To Arise” on Seed of Memory (1976). Graham Nash produced the album.
Browne put together an all-star backing cast for his 1999 performance at Red Rocks — including Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Shawn Colvin, Wally Ingram, and David Lindley — on Browne’s “Your Bright Baby Blues.” Even in this stellar cast Lindley stands out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the double neck lap steel [?] instrument that Lindley is playing here.
Jorma Kaukonen joined Lindley to perform Bob “Frizz” Fuller’s “Rag Bag” at Jorma’s Fur Peace Ranch in 2004. These are two masters at work.
Browne and Lindley toured Spain together in March 2006. Browne released the resulting live double album — Love Is Strange — in 2010. With the pared down instrumental backing you can really hear Lindley’s artistry. The album featured songs written by Browne and opened with Browne’s “I’m Alive.” Lindley’s beautiful lap steel guitar provides perfect accompaniment.
I thought “Minglewood Blues” was a Grateful Dead original. However, the original seems to be traced back to Noah Lewis’s Cannon Jug Stompers circa 1928. Lindley played it all by his lonesome on the 11-string fretless oud [?] in 2011. This seems to me something of a tour de force. At the least it gives you an idea of the breadth of his instrumental prowess.
Lindley accompanied Bonnie Raitt on Browne’s “Everywhere I Go” for Looking Into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne (2014). The song originally appeared on Browne’s I’m Alive (1993). Raitt takes the lead vocal and plays slide guitar while Lindley sings harmony and plays electric lead guitar.
Let’s exit with “Call It a Loan.” Browne wrote it with Lindley and originally released it on Hold Out (1980). They played it on their 2006 tour of Spain. In the meticulously recorded version below, Lindley seems to be accompanying Browne on the bouzouki [?]. “You were meant to play your part…”
