RIGHT PLACE, RAITT TIME
Bonnie Raitt on her new guitar sideman
“I’ve been knocked out every night at the sensitivity Duke brings, as well as his ferocity as a soloist”
“In the beginning, we had George Marinelli and Duke Levine together at rehearsals,” Bonnie tells us from California,“so Duke was able to watch and listen to the various guitar parts that George contributes to songs like NeedYouTonight and Livin’ForTheOnes, and the different songs that we cover. George often overdubs two or three parts – and it’s the same with keyboards, as there’s often three or four keyboards parts. So when you perform live and you only have a four-piece band, you have to figure out which parts you’re going to take.
“Deciding which part of the song deserves this particular guitar part, or how you can make it an artful mix of the three guitar parts, is something George has been expert at because he played on most of the records. Duke was able to check this out and see just what he was doing.The two of them were just fantastic together.They stayed [musically] out of each other’s way, their tones and their instruments sound different enough – and then, of course, you’ve got my [slide] guitar added to the mix.”
While Bonnie uses her slide playing selectively, she still plays the same Strat that she bought in 1969 for $120.“The neck suited my hand – and it had no paint on it, which I thought was really cool…
“As a musical director, it’s a bit challenging to make sure we’re not all playing the identical ‘Strat sound’ at the same time,” she continues,“or playing in the same part of the neck! But we’ve all been doing this long enough and it was fun to see and hear how George and Duke played together. There were certain parts when George would lead and Duke would hold back, then others when the roles were reversed and Duke would play – but without stepping on each other’s toes.
“Duke is something completely new – his guitars, his tones, his pedals – and his tastes are different from George[’s], so it’s fun for us and the audiences to have a fresh approach. George and Duke are equally brilliant and such nice guys, too. I’ve enjoyed Duke’s playing from afar for many years, and his reputation precedes him, so I was so pleased when he agreed to step in.
“I like Duke’s soulful soloing and the inventive lyrical ways he blends with my own guitar style and around my voice on the ballads. I’ve been knocked out every night at the sensitivity he brings, as well as his ferocity as a soloist. Duke never overplays, which is important to me and one of the things I love about George Marinelli’s playing. That’s why I chose Duke because I think he’s really tasteful, but he’s got a lot of fire as well; he banks that fire and doesn’t show off, which is what I like about him.”