Richard Hallebeek,Shawn Lane: talks about his meeting with the late genius in the Abstract Logix interview

Richard Hallebeek

NS: What did you take away from recording and playing with the late Shawn Lane? I can hear his influence in your playing.

RH: Shawn was spending lots of time in Holland in the last years of his life, in The Hague. I write for a music magazine called Music Maker in Holland, I interview musicians and that way I get to ask my favorite musicians I the questions that I never see in the bigger guitar magazines. I met up with Shawn for an interview, it clicked, and we ended up hanging out together over the year after that. I came back more than once to his place, we listened to music, talked about movies and books and we played together. I also took lessons from him that ended up in three-hour jams.

The thing I remember from Shawn is that he was such a modest, friendly person. No ego, no ugly vibes, just such a beautiful person with so much interest in everything around him, and the love and warmth in his personality. He was always so curious and eager to learn.

I also took care of a couple of gigs for him and a clinic at the Amsterdam conservatory. I helped him out carrying his amps and setting up his gear for him since he was too sick to do that. Just being around somebody like Shawn before and during a gig is inspirational, to say the least.

I remember sitting with Shawn in my home studio in Amsterdam to record RHPI and he would sit there, listen to the track, close his eyes, get some coffee, some yoghurt, then pick up his guitar and just burn it on the very first take. Those "takes" are what you hear on the album. Shawn always said that he liked to be captured before the first take, if that would even be possible, because he thinks he sounds best that way at the very first takes, or even, before a first take, when he’s just warming up.

So I cannot really pinpoint a certain thing or a lick at his lesson that it is that I got from spending time with Shawn. It’s just his whole personality and the way he looked at the world around him that was inspiring to me.

Full interview http://www.abstractlogix.com/interview_view.php?idno=158

Richard Hallebeek, Lalle Larsson: RHP II