I was attracted particularly to music with an improvisational base, as well as the popular tunes of the time. I was 19, so it was 1985. I got a name around, even as a kid. Even though he broke into the public limelight as a result of being the “house band” in Patrick Swayze’s 1989 movie Roadhouse, it really was Stevie Ray Vaughn and fellow blues guitarist Albert Collins, who discovered Healey in a spontaneous Toronto Canada jam session. There’s very little that I don’t care for. Does the band have a regular lineup? Oh, just about everybody comes to Toronto, and I was fortunate to live here. There are a few younger players in town who are fans of the more traditional type of jazz and who haven’t been tainted by the sterile approach a lot of jazz schools teach today. I remember later seeing a fellow who tuned his guitar to a chord, as I did, but he didn’t use a slide. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I had two months worth of gigs booked under my name, so I said, “I got these gigs, guys. 278 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. [13] The 12 track Heal My Soul featured six covers and a number of collaborations with Marti Frederiksen, Arnold Lanni and Stevie Salas. When did you meet Stevie and Albert? By the release of the 2000 album Get Me Some, Healey began to concentrate his talent in a different musical direction closer to his heart, the appreciation for another original American music form, jazz. He began playing guitar when he was three. [10] In March 2016 the posthumous album Heal My Soul was released,[11] followed by the companion album Holding On in December of the same year. Healey began playing guitar when he was three, developing his unique style of playing the instrument flat on his lap. His guitar “apprenticeship” included gigs with Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan. By using UPA you agree to our use of cookies to deliver a better site experience. There was a problem. I booked them! Checkout our famous "Who Plays What" section to find out the news on what your favorite musicians use for gear in their rigs. [4] It featuring the hit single "Angel Eyes" and the song "Hideaway", which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. At the time, I was just a circulating musician, as was (drummer) Joe Rockman, to a degree. Is it a full-time job for you? I’m not a gear man – never have been. All rights reserved. How did performing with such artists influence you? Nor do I think that way when I’m playing the trumpet as a trumpet player or the piano as a piano player. Frankly, I tend to lose interest in jazz and where it went just into the bebop era. These are the best Prime Day guitar deals for beginners, Waves is offering some insanely big reductions on plugins for guitarists – save up to 40% today, These incredible Prime Day Apple AirPods deals are the best you’re going to see this year, Prime Day guitar deals 2020: all of today's best Amazon Prime Day deals for guitarists, in one place, Danelectro’s new Baby Sitar promises to conjure the sounds of the psychedelic ‘60s. Just as I was with the whole artform of radio. Yes, I did work every couple of weeks for the CBC, bringing in a track or two. Healey began playing guitar when he was three, developing his unique style of playing the instrument flat on his lap. Nobody denies the performance, but people won’t relate to it. We were thinking of having another guitar and a harp player, but they didn’t show up. How did you hook up with them? One of these days, someone will license the idea or work with me on it. We would record when we could, and it finally just came to a point where we said, “Look, we have two or three dozen pieces of music here. His eyes had to be surgically removed at the time, and he was given ocular prostheses. I do a few lead vocals, but I wanted to have someone else do most of the singing, for several reasons including variety, and so I’m not calling all the tunes. What was your first band? Sadly, Healey died of cancer March 2, 2008, in his home town of Toronto. He hit Number 5 on the U.S. How much guitar? There’s a large pool of very talented musicians around town, and most of them have all sorts of things up their sleeves, as well. Later he went national on CBC Radio's program entitled My Kind of Jazz, in which he played records from his vast vintage jazz collection. How many pieces are in the band, typically? I think it was a Martin D-18 or a D-28. When he was 15,[2] Jeff Healey formed the band Blue Direction, a four-piece that primarily played bar-band cover tunes and featured bassist Jeremy Littler, drummer Graydon Chapman, and a schoolmate, Rob Quail on second guitar. The earliest track was recorded in October of ’96, and the last track was done in November or December of ’98. Think you know something about guitar gear? 278)", "The ARIA Report! They received a write-up in Toronto's NOW magazine, and soon were playing almost nightly in local clubs, such as Grossman's Tavern and the famed blues club Albert's Hall (where Jeff Healey was discovered by guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins). I don’t remember exactly which pickup we put on it – it’s an old, large-looking thing. Jeff Healey died on March 2, 2008 at the age of 41. Bath Give me something with six strings, keep it in tune, and make sure it’s working! Not that I think it adds anything to my creative heart or output, nor is it an angst-ridden statement to bare my soul. When he was 15, Jeff Healey formed the band Blue Direction, a four-piece which primarily played bar-band cover tunes and featured bassist Jeremy Littler, drummer Graydon Chapman, and a schoolmate, Rob Quail on second guitar. #mc-embedded-subscribe-form input[type=checkbox]{display: inline; width: auto;margin-right: 10px;} You have a library of over 25,000 jazz and swing recordings from the early 1900s through ’42. Healey had numerous acting scenes in the movie with Swayze, as his band was the house cover band for the bar featured in the movie. He’d met Joe by subbing in a band Joe was in when the drummer couldn’t make it, and the leader knew Tom. Using his massive vintage 78 rpm gramophone record collection, Healey began hosting a popular jazz and blues show on radio station CIUT-FM. At three, he started playing the guitar, and by his teens he had established a reputation in Toronto’s music scene. On March 2, 2008, Jeff Healey died of cancer in his home town of Toronto. At age 9 his musical talents were showcased in an interview on the TVOntario children's programme Cucumber. I’m sure it has influenced me. The clip is from a CBC series called It's Only Rock 'N' Roll, which also happened to star Mike Myers. So we assembled it and, with a little input from Universal, put it out. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? I’ve been a broadcaster, on and off, all my life. Over the years, Healey toured and sat in with many well-known performers, including The Allman Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, BB King, ZZ Top, Steve Lukather, Eric Clapton and many more. Tom suggested the three of us at least get together at a jam. [18][21], "Jeff Healy" redirects here. Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Angel Eyes" and reached the Top 10 in Canada with the songs "I Think I Love You Too Much" and "How Long Can a Man Be Strong". Jeff not only played the guitar damn well, he did so blind. Jeff Healey was a Legend. Maybe try watching some Jeff Healey live videos to see the advantage his style gave his reach, what with not having his fretting hand wrapped around the guitar. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Healey was raised in the city's west end. In my club, I use the Fender Hot Rod Deville because it has enough power and kick. Note: Big thanks to RQ, for all the insider information on what gear Jeff used in his rig!!!! At the time, MSI Music Distribution was one of the largest importers of recorded music in the United States. What was the impetus behind that? BA1 1UA. [15][16], On January 11, 2007, Healey underwent surgery to remove metastatic tissue from both lungs. While the band was recording See the Light, they were also filming (and recording for the soundtrack of) the Patrick Swayze film Road House. Jeff and I were bandmates through our teens and early 20’s, and were lifelong friends and musical buddies. What guitars did you use, and can you detail your technique on the song? Usually, you have a whole lot more songs than you’re going to use, but this was a couple songs here, a couple songs there. I look at music at so many different levels, and with a record I’m interested in the music, but I’m also interested in how it’s cut, the catalog numbers, the personnel, what theories were used. This band played various local clubs in Toronto, including the Colonial Tavern. His death came a month before the release of Mess of Blues, which was his first rock/blues album in eight years. Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, and Coleman Hawkins would be the top three. It has three double-coil pickups, all of which can be split into single-coils. Was there a particular reason for the five-year gap between the Cover to Cover and Get Me Some albums? "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released. His main jazz group for touring and recording being Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards. I’ve known Jess for five years or so. He had been sitting in with these types of bands around Toronto since the beginning of his music career. (Jazz Wizards), - DR Strings Tite-Fit Jeff Healey Medium Electric Guitar Strings. That was recorded almost five years ago.