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 The Steel Guitar Forum
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 Zal Yanovsky passes
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| Author | Topic: Zal Yanovsky passes |
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Jim Cohen Member From: Philadelphia, PA |
posted 15 December 2002 09:13 PM
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Former lead guitarist for the Lovin' Spoonful, passed away of a heart attack at age 58. The Spoonful was a huge part of my musical upbringing (my high school friends can tell you that!) I had had hopes yet of visiting his restaurant in Kingston, Ontario one of these days to finally shake his hand and thank him personally. I guess now I'll just have to wait longer... R.I.P., Zally. Toronto Star Obituary [This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 15 December 2002 at 09:25 PM.] |
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Steve Hinson Member From: Hendersonville Tn USA |
posted 15 December 2002 09:34 PM
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This is terrible news...I would have liked to meet him too...I believe he had a lot of steel player in him!Some of those chords,and the volume swell things-terrific!He was one of the most original guitar players I ever heard... |
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Mike Baxter Member From: Vancouver, B.C., Canada |
posted 15 December 2002 10:34 PM
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The TS obit mentions he played the Yorkville coffee houses and slept in the all-night coin laundry at the corner of Dupont and St. George. Same area I lived, and same laundry I used in the mid-60s. Great time and place - of course, being younger probably helped as well ;-) |
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Herb Steiner Member From: Cedar Valley, Travis County TX |
posted 15 December 2002 10:51 PM
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This is sad for me, since Zalman and I were quite friendly when I was on Ronstadt's band and in the couple of years after that before I moved to TX. He was living in LA at the time, around 1968-72. He was an exceptionally fun guy to hang with, loved to talk blues, loved Doc Watson, etc. And 58 is simply too young to go.  ------------------ |
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Jim Cohen Member From: Philadelphia, PA |
posted 16 December 2002 05:46 AM
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This might be an opportune moment to remind those of us over the age of 40 that one baby aspirin a day (81mg) has been proven to reduce the rate of premature heart attacks. |
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Samuel E. White Member From: Greeneville TN. |
posted 16 December 2002 06:03 AM
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Right you are Jim Cohen. That asprin is a life saver.I had a heart attack 6 ago this February and i have been on a coated asprin every day.Twice now I had a feeling there was a problem so i went to the Doctor and the first time I had another blockage and he put in two more stents.I thought I had a problem about 3 weeks ago so we did a Cathader and there was nothing there thank God for that.You see I know what to look for and i don't waist any time i tell the Doctor lets do a Cath.It is very foolish not to watch what you eat and take care of your health.You see thanks to all the new Medical devices I have lived 6 more good years and i can do any thing i use to do. i even carry my own Equipment to shows and a Gig every Tuesday night.Pay attention to what your body tells you and don't wait as it might be to late. Sam White |
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Larry Bell Member From: Englewood, Florida |
posted 16 December 2002 06:05 AM
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This is REALLY sad news. I first met Zally in 1966, when my band opened for the Spoonful in Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, and Atlanta. Big stuff for a 16 year old kid. Zally had a pair of lizard shoes that looked like they still had the lizard in them (no kidding -- I'd swear it had a TAIL).  Needless to say, he was a really intriguing, socially conscious player who happened to be a great guitarist in the folk/rock/jugband tradition. Some may recall when we were debating who played steel on a couple of the Spoonful tunes (it WAS Sebastian on a Maverick) I contacted Zal in Ontario where he has been living since the late 70s. He and his wife own a very successful restaurant and bakery (Chez Piggy and Pan Chaco Bakery) in Kingston, so I reached him through their EMail address. Zal was very gracious -- PRETENDED to remember me -- and gave the Forum the answers we were seeking. Hey Zally, LTB [This message was edited by Larry Bell on 16 December 2002 at 06:09 AM.] |
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Jim Cohen Member From: Philadelphia, PA |
posted 16 December 2002 06:49 AM
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p.s. I think you are great and good look guy. Zal play nice on the drum. |
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Bob Blair Member From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
posted 16 December 2002 07:25 AM
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RIP Zal. I spent three years in Kingston, and was there when he opened Chez Piggy. Dined there pretty much every time I went back to town, and it was always first rate. I also chatted with Zal a few times at a local club we both frequented, and he was always gracious and freindly. Loved the Spoonful. |
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Chuck S. Lettes Member From: Denver, Colorado |
posted 16 December 2002 07:53 AM
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I started learning the guitar during the l960s, and of course the radio was filled with great guitar sounds. I loved the Spoonful, and I remember going to Manny's Music on 49th and looking at all of the band promo pictures, including the Spoonful who bought some equipment there. Growing up in NY, I especially followed the Spoonful, the Young Rascals, Billy Joel, Leslie West, etc. I remember seeing Zal on TV, playing (I think) a Guild soild body and having a great time on stage. I'm sorry to see Zal go. Chuck [This message was edited by Chuck S. Lettes on 17 December 2002 at 05:41 AM.] |
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frank rogers Member From: usa |
posted 16 December 2002 07:55 AM
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Wow, sad news. The "Spoonful" were a big influence on me. I still "noodle" around with a couple of their early tunes, "It's not time now" and "Did you ever have to make up your mind?" in particular. BTW, Jim Cohen, I love those quotes from the back of their first L.P. F.R. [This message was edited by frank rogers on 16 December 2002 at 07:57 AM.] |
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Jim Cohen Member From: Philadelphia, PA |
posted 16 December 2002 08:52 AM
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Frank, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who remembers... and I'm glad it's you. |
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frank rogers Member From: usa |
posted 16 December 2002 08:55 AM
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P.S. Let us not forget Zally's electric gorgle on Bald Headed Lena. |
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JB Arnold Member From: Longmont,Co,USA |
posted 16 December 2002 10:00 AM
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WAY bad news. I grew up on the spoonful as well, living on Long Island and frequenting the village whenever I could get a ride there-I had some older friends, so that was often, and that was a very cool time to be around. I still play a lot of that stuff too.... Cya Zally..... ------------------ http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html |
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Larry Bell Member From: Englewood, Florida |
posted 16 December 2002 11:14 AM
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jimbaux/frank, we've shared waaaaay too many childhood experiences ------------ Bald Headed Lena, indeed ------------------ |
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Jon Graboff Member From: NYC, NY |
posted 16 December 2002 11:23 AM
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My good friend, Dennis Diken, interviewed Zal extensively for the liner notes on the recently re-issued Daydream CD and there were quite a few interesting things said by Zal about his playing and love of the steel guitar. He said some of the most profound influences on his guitar style came from Floyd Cramers' slip-note piano style and his love of Lloyd Greens'pedal steel playing. He also said that the electric piano arpeggios after the guitar figure in "Didn't Have To Be So Nice" came from a Pete Drake record he was listening to at the time. |
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Jim Cohen Member From: Philadelphia, PA |
posted 16 December 2002 11:54 AM
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Jon, Thank you sooo much for that insight. For me it's a very personal one, because Zal was my first influence as a guitarist and I loved his bouncy, bubbly style that indeed had a lot of major 2nd hammer-on's ("A" pedal moves) (such as the entire solo to "Do You Believe in Magic"), and I believe that Zal was responsible for shaping my early ears in a direction that later led me to the steel guitar! So, this is a wonderful full-circle for me, to learn that he was influenced by steel players in the first place! The odd thing is that I've been wracking my brain to find a suitable Spoonful tune that I could cover on my new CD, and I haven't found one yet that I think I could handle well. I've fooled around with "You're a Big Boy Now" (esp. with some "Amy's Theme" in the background), or a C6 version of "Amy's Tune" itself, or "Butchie's Tune" but I don't seem to have the right approach yet to any of these tunes. Any suggestions guys? ------------------ |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France |
posted 16 December 2002 02:32 PM
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i grew up in NYC and spent a lot of time in "the Village" back then i remember summer in the city cause it was a hot one Café Wha, Café a GoGo, the Tin Angel, the Bitter End, the Village Vanguard , Dan Armstrong's guitar shop and other hot spots... the Spoonful.......yep i remember RIP Zal [This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 16 December 2002 at 02:33 PM.] [This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 16 December 2002 at 02:34 PM.] |
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Jon Graboff Member From: NYC, NY |
posted 17 December 2002 10:31 AM
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Jim Cohen. How about "Darlin' Be Home Soon"? Always one of my favorites. |
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Jim Cohen Member From: Philadelphia, PA |
posted 17 December 2002 11:40 AM
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Thanks for the suggestion, Jon. That song was also always a favorite of mine too, but it actually isn't very melodic when you think about it; it kinda stays in about a 4 or 5 note range for the whole song! Keep lookin'! p.s. when you comin' to Philly? [This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 17 December 2002 at 11:40 AM.] |
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Dave Birkett Member From: Oxnard, CA, USA |
posted 17 December 2002 12:26 PM
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Rain on the Roof? |
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Chris Schlotzhauer Member From: Colleyville, Tx. USA |
posted 17 December 2002 12:51 PM
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One of the first concerts I ever attended had the Spoonful, Buffalo Springfield, Strawberry Alarmclock, and Beach Boys. There was a dual stage setup. The Spoonful was set up to the right of the Beach Boys, and I remeber noticing how beat-to-hell their equipment was. I think Zal was playing a red Jaguar (also beat up). They came on and Sebastian picked up his autoharp and went into "Magic". By far, they were the best band on the bill. Good memories Zal. |
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Andy Volk Member From: Boston, MA |
posted 17 December 2002 05:52 PM
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Jim, I vote for "You Didn't Have To Be so Nice". I can already kinda imagine the cool licks you'll come up with for the bridge. [This message was edited by Andy Volk on 17 December 2002 at 05:52 PM.] |
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Jeff Lampert Member From: queens, new york city |
posted 18 December 2002 09:59 AM
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quote: Yep. If you want to be sweet, the other suggestions are good. However, if you want to make a STATEMENT, do "Summer In The City". |
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Jim Cohen Member From: Philadelphia, PA |
posted 18 December 2002 01:29 PM
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Interesting idea... hmmmm.... |
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John Steele Member From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada |
posted 18 December 2002 02:05 PM
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Jim, I thought about you the moment I heard of Zal's passing. I was sorry to hear that Zal was gone. Some of you guys have a year or two on me (My Summer of Love ended by starting Kindergarten) and I really don't know much about rock and roll. To me, Zal was the proprietor of one of my favourite restaurants, "The Chez Piggy", in Kingston, Ont., just south of here. While I'll join you in celebrating Zal's musical legacy, I'll privately be paying tribute to him in my kitchen this week. As a non-musical tribute, I'd like to share with you one of Zal's wonderful soup recipes. .......................... Zal's Gingered Squash Soup 8 cups of chicken stock 6 cups of coarsely chopped peeled butternut squash 1 onion, cut in chunks 1 carrot, cut in chunks 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced 1 small sweet potatoe, peeled, in chunks 4 cloves of garlic 2 inches of fresh peeled ginger, diced 2 tsp. coriander 2 tsp. cardamom 3 Tbsp of honey 1/4 cup brandy, flamed 1 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup 35% cream Place stock in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and add veggies, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and coriander. Simmer until veggies are tender. Stir in honey, add brandy, simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, puree with a hand blender, and stir in butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with sliced almonds. ................. Thanks Zal. -John |
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HowardR Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y. |
posted 18 December 2002 05:25 PM
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Let's then raise a bowl to Zally, as the threads of our youth unwind..... |
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