Love of the guitar

Musician Vinny Baker has just finished an album with his Bluegrass band Bending the Strings; is about to kick off a line-up of gigs with his electric country band Tennessee Breakdown, and is just two months away from completing his own guitar instrumental album "Lost for Words".On top of this, Vinny's studio - based at his home at The Downs, Mullingar, is brimming with a multitude of artists recording albums, including Mick Foster, Noel Briody, Jane McNamee and John Scally, and even a priest from Cameroon who has just put down a Gospel album.Things, it seems, could not be better for the man who grew up listening to the great guitar hero's of the 80's - Van Halen, Joe Satriani and Steve Vice:"It was the era when musicians really had to perform," remarks Vinny."They called it metal back then but it wasn't, it was what it's called nowadays - spandex rock!" added Vinny, whose first big heros of course were George Harrison and The Beatles, Frank Marvin and The Shadows, The Adventurers.Vinny Baker came from the era of the showband and was part of Jim Tobin and The Firehouse, and later, The Times Showband.It was after The Times that Vinny stopped playing music altogether.He had a young family and got a "proper" job at the old Penn Factory. It wasn't until his teenage son at the time asked him to teach him the guitar that Vinny returned to his old love: "The only thing I have to do in life is play in a live band, that is the only thing I absolutely have to do because it's like food for the soul," said Vinny."I play every single day, and the Tennessee Breakdown Band is really fun and we're back with the regular every second Sunday slot in the Greville Arms Hotel, which will run right through until next May."I always had an interest in the recording side of things. Even when I was playing as part of a band, when all the other guys would be finished and gone off to the pub to play pool, I'd be stuck in with the engineer or producer, just having a look over his shoulder - I loved it."And since I've come into the recording business I haven't looked back," he says.Vinny loves all the great American guitar heros, such as Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Les Paul, and tries to visit Nashville as often he can. Just last March he met his big hero of the moment - Brad Paisley.VeeBee Studio life"The edge that I have here, maybe over the bigger studios, is that somebody can come in with an idea and leave with a finished product," explains Vinny, who has never been as busy in the studio since the recession hit."I think that more people have time on their hands now to sit down and write songs," he says.Songwriting itself of course has always been a major part of Vinny's life, with his biggest hit being "Grandad" sung by Brendan Shine.A more recent song called "Travelling Man" has been taken up by two musicians - Mick Galvin and Mick Foster. He also has high hopes for a song written around the life of Tommy Makem, simply titled "Tommy".Vinny does all his writing with writing partner Danny Slevin."Danny generally is the is the lyric writer, while I am the lyric and melody arranger," says Vinny.One of the biggest surprises that Vinny got recently was when Daniel O'Donnell rang him up one day to say that he would like to record his song called "Love is Everything":"He loves the song, it's a real sentimental waltz song, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one," he grins."Songwriting is a big part of my life. But when I get time to do my own thing, which is guitar instrumentals, that's when it all really comes together for me," he explains.Vinny has penned a new album called "Lost for Words" - because that's what it is, there are no words!"I've got an album on my system for the last two years which I never got a chance to finish.I would describe it as country jazz - it's not very commercial because it's a little bit out there. It's the sort of thing I hear in my head and it's the sort of thing I like."The album, which is due out in the next two months has a track called "Winter Sun", which Vinny believes is one of the strongest tracks he has ever written:"It's very melodic and once you hear it, it catches you and you keep humming it all the time, so I also have high hopes for that."Another track called "Under the Influence" also features on the album, which includes all the guitarists who have influenced Vinny's music throughout the years, while "Cellphone Love Affair" is another straight-up, in-your-face, jazz track for real lovers of underground jazz."I have to write what I feel, but also when I hear something that is catchy, and maybe even commercial, I can latch onto it as well.I have a commercial ear as well and I think that comes from hanging around people who were always looking for a big hit. It's not always my idea of what I would like but I never let that stop me!""I love jazz and I absolutely love playing it. It's hard to get people to listen because jazz is kind-of selfish music," he admits. "You sort of get lost in what you're doing and that I think is the beauty of it, it's improvisational music."But for the man who has close to 20 electric guitars, mostly Fenders, ranging in age from 1967 to present day, his love of the guitar will never die:"I love the guitar to bits, I'm always trying to improve, it's a difficult instrument to master.I've got one lovely Ibenez limited edition which my son bought me for a present back in 2002.Then I've got four acoustics and my favourite is my Lowden which he made especially for me. I've also got a few, what I call 'working guitars', but I play the banjo and the mandolin as well."He also has eleven amplifiers, including the amp that toured with The Times Showband, but that's only because he forgot to sell them!