Rhubarb Red

His first professional work was really as a 'one man band', playing for tips at roadside restaurants. He used to call himself “Rhubarb Red' and his reputation soon earned him some local radio broadcasts, particularly when he teamed up with Joe Wolverton whose stage name was “Singing Joe’. In the early nineteen thirties he left for Chicago where his obvious natural talent earned him many jobs in the various local radio stations. His dual ability of being able to play country and western under the name of “Rhubarb Red' and jazz as Les Paul ensured that he was kept very busy. It is interesting to note that in a 1934 Gibson Guitar' catalogue he is shown as a Gibson guitar user, but under the name of 'Rhubarb Red'. After five years in Chicago Les moved to New York where he had his own trio in which he played electric guitar. This trio appeared with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians. By the mid-forties he was regarded as one of America's foremost jazz guitarists, obviously greatly influenced by Django Reinhardt, and he was chosen to appear in Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic.  Besides the obvious importance of his exceptional development of the solid clectric guitar, Les Paul is also renowned for his brilliant multi-track guitar recordings with singer Mary Ford.

Summerfield, Maurice Joseph.

 The Jazz guitar: its evolution and its players.

 Gateshead: Ashley Mark 1979, 157.

With Alistair Cooke: