He's been one of Nashville's top session guitarists now for many years, but Pat Buchanan has played his axe in many parts of the U.S. and abroad all his life. It was his university and his day job, and became a solid career. He is one of the most fearless, fluid, and fluent players I've ever encountered, in a lifetime of admiring and learning from great guitarists. He also plays with great humor, and a sense of history. He uses all the classic guitar facial expressions, as the included clips will portray, and moves with the guitar in a way that players will who have worked both the very cramped and the behemoth stages.
We've reviewed him twice on his excellent solo outings (once just last month, on the newly released St. George), so we've already said what would whet one's appetite for an introduction. He's done all the huge sessions, played the stadium tours, written some incredible songs; he's done it all, and still is primed to do something better in every category, and no doubt will. I'll never forget the way he looked at me one night in a conversation after a particularly blistering gig. He was saying very intently, "Listen, Frank, you got to get me back in that studio of yours, and let's do something good." He had that glazed but very fixed look in his eyes, looked like he was going to laugh really loud, and said, "I don’t care about the money, man, I just want to play." I mean, this guy had just gotten off stage after playing for hours. I live to know musicians like that, and have been lucky to know a few.
I saw him play in the round recently with Bill DeMain, Bill Lloyd, and Don Henry. It was great songs all around all night, but my favorite part of the evening unquestionably was listening to Pat accompany and solo through everybody's material on acoustic guitar. It was a disarming display of spontaneous musicianship. Be real sure to check out all the clips of a recent show of Pat Buchanan with his amazing band of studio heavies: Allison Prestwood on bass, Greg Morrow on drums, and Tom Bukovac on guitar and keys. It'll give some readers a sense of why many of us love living in Nashville.
Here's a rare conversation with one of the greatest stringbenders of his generation. continue to interview
