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Tone, Twang, and Taste: A Guitar Memoir
"I was hanging around backstage with Sinatra's band..." That's just the tip of the iceberg in Pete Kennedy's kaleidoscopic musical career of unforgettable collaborations with many of the giants of pop, classical, and folk music. In Tone, Twang and Taste , he passes along not only that experience, but also the inspiration he drew in his peripatetic half-century on the road. A natural raconteur, Kennedy offers a memoir that is part travel narrative, part musical history, and part behind-the scenes look at a world of fascinating characters. Ultimately, it is a clarion call to his readers to follow their dreams, never stop learning, and do what they love the most. "As a musician, Pete Kennedy has been there and done that for decades, and now he's telling all the stories that have held his friends spellbound in conversation. Turns out he's as stylish a writer as he is a player. Reading him is as satisfying as hearing a great song." - Anthony DeCurtis, Author of Lou A Life
- GenresMusic
278 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2018
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 4, 2022
In my estimation, Pete Kennedy is one of the most gifted guitarists playing a range of roots music alive today. I first heard him and his partner in crime, Maura Kennedy, at the 1994 Philly Folk Festival and have loved them ever since. We have been thoroughly enjoying their 2:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon livestream concerts during the pandemic and, if we miss one, we re-stream as soon as we are able.
Tone, Twang, and Taste: A Guitar Memoir is a chatty, somewhat linear, recounting of Pete's musical journey thus far. It's a fun, fast read and his talent, humor, and humility fill every page. As a musician, Pete has had a charmed existence--and he both knows and genuinely appreciates it. Seriously, read this book. This man has played with everyone in an astounding array of genres, and should be celebrated as a musical national treasure. I'd love to see him and Bill Kirchen trading licks and am so thankful to have stumbled upon Pete and Maura Kennedy back in the 1990s. Pete's book is a fun read and you will marvel at his experiences, although I cannot imagine logging the sort of miles he has but am sure the Kennedys' dedicated fans are grateful.
Tone, Twang, and Taste: A Guitar Memoir is a chatty, somewhat linear, recounting of Pete's musical journey thus far. It's a fun, fast read and his talent, humor, and humility fill every page. As a musician, Pete has had a charmed existence--and he both knows and genuinely appreciates it. Seriously, read this book. This man has played with everyone in an astounding array of genres, and should be celebrated as a musical national treasure. I'd love to see him and Bill Kirchen trading licks and am so thankful to have stumbled upon Pete and Maura Kennedy back in the 1990s. Pete's book is a fun read and you will marvel at his experiences, although I cannot imagine logging the sort of miles he has but am sure the Kennedys' dedicated fans are grateful.
February 16, 2019
Does the fact that I read it straight through without stopping, when I really had important chores to do, tell you anything?
From the time Pete Kennedy discovered music, he was driven with a passion to play it, hear it live, immerse himself in it. And unlike many of us, he followed that passion up and down roads well and less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
The book begins with the initial live musical discovery (the circus!) and then his amazing young concert-going career, which included the Beatles, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, and the Faces, amongst others. He also started to play in bands from his pre-teens on, always exploring new sounds, new techniques, new notes on the guitar.
If you think his early concert-going career is stellar, the luminaries he has played with and/or met includes entire galaxies. For a long time, he was a guitar player-for hire, including (but not limited to) artists in the classical field, the rock field, and basically a who's who of folk/pop/soul music. All of this is expressed in funny and memorable anecdotes, with the consistent humility of someone who was much more passionate about music than stardom.
Before he meets his wife, Maura, though, the book seems somewhat impersonal. If you're a huge music aficionado, like me, you will love the stories, but the problem with being self-effacing is that you can be so effacing of that self that you don't share much about your feelings and personal insights. Yet there are telling anecdotes where you can see that Kennedy is far more psychologically and emotionally clued in than he expresses in his stories.
Once he meets his wife, the angel-voiced Maura who is a perfect musical partner for him, the book takes on more shades of color. It's still no personal confessional--which I appreciate, but not everyone does--but there's a bit more of the kind of reflection one expects from a memoir and less of a purely musical journey. I suspect she has added that color and vitality to his life, as well.
I think the author was capable of many reflections that would have made this a five star book for me, such as this one:
"Looking out over the bayous, as they disappeared down toward the Gulf, I wondered how deep my own spirit ran, compared to the original New Orleans saints who were brought here in chains. If I were sold into slavery in this hot, humid Babylon, would I respond by giving back to the world the incredible gifts of of jazz, gospel, blues? Thinking about it there on the levee, it seemed like the gift of African-American music is one of the greatest acts of charity the world has ever seen or heard: music from a river so deep and wide that we can see our own souls reflected in it."
Nine out of ten books that I read are fiction. I don't read memoirs often, nor do I consistently read books about music (though far more than the average reader, I'm sure). I think anyone who is passionate about music will find this unable-to-put-down, as I did. There are stories about music and musicians and performers as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Martha Reeves and Elton John and Leonard Bernstein and Doc Watson and Nanci Griffith and Roger McGuinn. People who are interested in trash and flash or who are relatively indifferent to music shouldn't buy this book.
From the time Pete Kennedy discovered music, he was driven with a passion to play it, hear it live, immerse himself in it. And unlike many of us, he followed that passion up and down roads well and less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
The book begins with the initial live musical discovery (the circus!) and then his amazing young concert-going career, which included the Beatles, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, and the Faces, amongst others. He also started to play in bands from his pre-teens on, always exploring new sounds, new techniques, new notes on the guitar.
If you think his early concert-going career is stellar, the luminaries he has played with and/or met includes entire galaxies. For a long time, he was a guitar player-for hire, including (but not limited to) artists in the classical field, the rock field, and basically a who's who of folk/pop/soul music. All of this is expressed in funny and memorable anecdotes, with the consistent humility of someone who was much more passionate about music than stardom.
Before he meets his wife, Maura, though, the book seems somewhat impersonal. If you're a huge music aficionado, like me, you will love the stories, but the problem with being self-effacing is that you can be so effacing of that self that you don't share much about your feelings and personal insights. Yet there are telling anecdotes where you can see that Kennedy is far more psychologically and emotionally clued in than he expresses in his stories.
Once he meets his wife, the angel-voiced Maura who is a perfect musical partner for him, the book takes on more shades of color. It's still no personal confessional--which I appreciate, but not everyone does--but there's a bit more of the kind of reflection one expects from a memoir and less of a purely musical journey. I suspect she has added that color and vitality to his life, as well.
I think the author was capable of many reflections that would have made this a five star book for me, such as this one:
"Looking out over the bayous, as they disappeared down toward the Gulf, I wondered how deep my own spirit ran, compared to the original New Orleans saints who were brought here in chains. If I were sold into slavery in this hot, humid Babylon, would I respond by giving back to the world the incredible gifts of of jazz, gospel, blues? Thinking about it there on the levee, it seemed like the gift of African-American music is one of the greatest acts of charity the world has ever seen or heard: music from a river so deep and wide that we can see our own souls reflected in it."
Nine out of ten books that I read are fiction. I don't read memoirs often, nor do I consistently read books about music (though far more than the average reader, I'm sure). I think anyone who is passionate about music will find this unable-to-put-down, as I did. There are stories about music and musicians and performers as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Martha Reeves and Elton John and Leonard Bernstein and Doc Watson and Nanci Griffith and Roger McGuinn. People who are interested in trash and flash or who are relatively indifferent to music shouldn't buy this book.
January 8, 2023
Short anecdotal chapters about a working, traveling guitarist’s life. The things Kennedy noticed and the choices he made show the difference between the professional and the amateur musician. To me, that’s the fun of the book.
Kennedy is self-taught, so here’s the arc of the book. He listened to everything, played with anybody that would let him, walked up to better musicians and asked questions. He was poor for a long time and couch surfed across the US for years until getting known. He depended on friends and had a gift for making them. He calls himself lucky to live the life he wanted and get paid (mostly). No dysfunctional family tales and no regrets about his choices other than bad gigs and travel misfortunes.
Most of his career was pre TikTok/Instagram/social media. Will anyone now make their way like he did?
Disclosure: I’m a fan of Pete & Maura Kennedy, performing as The Kennedys, and of the performers he toured with; Mary Chapin Carpenter & Nanci Griffith.
Kennedy is self-taught, so here’s the arc of the book. He listened to everything, played with anybody that would let him, walked up to better musicians and asked questions. He was poor for a long time and couch surfed across the US for years until getting known. He depended on friends and had a gift for making them. He calls himself lucky to live the life he wanted and get paid (mostly). No dysfunctional family tales and no regrets about his choices other than bad gigs and travel misfortunes.
Most of his career was pre TikTok/Instagram/social media. Will anyone now make their way like he did?
Disclosure: I’m a fan of Pete & Maura Kennedy, performing as The Kennedys, and of the performers he toured with; Mary Chapin Carpenter & Nanci Griffith.
November 25, 2019
We are long time fans of Pete and Maura Kennedy. First heard them on WFUV, first saw them at Zoo Folk (at The Barnum Zoo outdoors), and we have seen them many times at Falconridge Folk Festival, and once at the the New Bedford Folk Festival. We have seen them in recent years play at Swing the Teapot in Floral Park, where we saw Maura editing this book prior to its’ release. The book is very interesting and they lead an amazing life. The book is thoughtfully written, but also reads a bit like a travel diary, much as I started this review. They have met and worked with so many famous singers and songwriters. My husband and I were very impressed at their energy to play and travel to so many unique venues over the 20 plus years of their marriage!
January 24, 2020
A very engaging memoir about a life in music and all the joy and fulfillment it can bring. No, the author is not a household name, but he's a respected guitarist and songwriter who is known throughout a huge swath of the industry. If you are a musician or a fan of music, odds are you will enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews