Buzz Feiten
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Howard "Buzz" Feiten (pronounced "feet'n") is a North American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and session musician. He is best known as a lead and rhythm electric guitarist, and has been in hot demand for sessions, concert tours, albums and CDs since the late 1960s. Industry stalwarts and pop musicologists alike consider him among the very best of modern guitarists, proficient on all forms of the instrument, and having actually significantly improved the instrument itself with a unique, patented, scientifically-designed tuning system which re-configures its stringboard / neck for more accurate tonality. Thus Feiten qualifies as a Luthier, as well as a guitarist.
Feiten grew up in Centerport, New York, where he was known by schoolmates and friends as 'Buzzy'. Son of a musical mother, Pauline (a classical pianist), and an airline pilot, Howard Sr., Feiten studied several musical instruments as a child, finally settling on French Horn. In 1966 he auditioned at Juilliard College on the French Horn, but was not admitted, perhaps one of the greatest blessings that could ever have happened to popular music.
In secondary school, Feiten also became enthused about rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues, studying closely the techniques of many of the legendary music figures of his generation, including the Beatles, the Byrds, Al Kooper and the Blues Project, Eric Clapton, and many others. Entering amateur rock music as an electric bassist, he indicated at the time that Paul McCartney was one of his influences. He debuted in commercial pop / rock music with a high school band called The Reasons Why (other players were Steve Beckmeier (rhythm guitar), Al Stegmeyer (drums), Danny 'Fingers' Horton (lead guitar), and Daniel Kretzer (keyboards)). The Reasons Why were locally successful on Long Island, and two of their songs, 'Tell Her One More Time' and 'Same Old Worries' briefly appeared on the Billboard Top 100 singles chart in 1966. Feiten graduated in June that same year from Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York. Still known as 'Buzzy', he jammed in New York City with Eric Clapton the next year, during Slowhand's 1967 first visit to the USA with supergroup Cream. This experience helped qualify Feiten, now increasingly seen as a 'wunderkind', to join the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, filling the very large shoes of the departed Elvin Bishop, who had gone solo. With Butterfield, Feiten played such famous gigs as the Atlantic City Pop Festival and the legendary Woodstock Festival, polishing his 'chops' on rhythm 'n' blues. As he matured into the adult music scene, his nickname became modified to 'Buzz'.
Feiten's next major combo engagement was as lead guitarist with The Rascals, Felix Cavaliere's group (formerly known as the Young Rascals). He contributed excellent, soaring solo work on the Rascals' 'Peaceful World' and 'Island of Real' albums, including a few original songs.
But as a young-adult player, Feiten really achieved musicians' musician status in 1971 with his project album 'Full Moon', featuring Neil Larsen (keyboards), Freddie Beckmeier (bass), Phillip Wilson (drums), and Brother Gene Dinwiddie on tenor saxophone. Sidemen contributing to 'Full Moon' included Randy Brecker, Airto Moreira, Ray Baretto, Dave Holland, and vocalists Robin Clark and Tasha Thomas. Considered one of the greatest early jazz-rock fusion albums, 'Full Moon' gained airplay and vinyl album sales in many metropolitan and urban-suburban markets. It was re-released in 2000 on CD with a bonus track not included on the original. A sequel album, Buzz Feiten & The New Full Moon, was released in 1999, with a modified different complement of musicians: the original member Freddie Beckmeier, bass (brother of Steve from The Reasons Why), plus new members Jai Winding on keyboards, Brandon Fields on saxophones, and Gary Mallaber on drums. Two other Feiten projects had the 'Full Moon' name attached; one a Larsen-Feiten band studio-recorded release, and the other a 'live' album, 'Full Moon Live' -- early 1980s recordings of some of the original 'Full Moon' and Larsen-Feiten Band songs, with Neil Larsen on keyboards, Lenny Castro on percussion, Art Rodriguez on drums, and Vernon Porter on bass.
Buzz Feiten has played with a great many well-known acts, and his discography includes well over 100 collections with various artists, playing music ranging from straight blues, cabaret standards, pop, rock 'n' roll, rhythm 'n' blues, jazz, and fusion. His own musical projects have included The Reasons Why (with whom he first played electric bass), Full Moon, the Larsen-Feiten Band, and the Whirlies. He was briefly a named member of one of the great jazz fusion combos of the 1990s, the Dave Weckl Band, and recorded songs (including some of his originals) on two of Weckl's CDs, 'Synergy' and 'Rhythm of the Soul'. 'Synergy' is considered some of his best jazz / fusion work, with several of the most illustrious jazz musicians of the time.
Feiten's artistic history includes recordings and/or performances with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the Rascals, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, The Brecker Brothers, Bruce Willis, Gregg Allman, James Taylor, Wilson Pickett, Chaka Khan, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Larsen, Rickie Lee Jones, Stevie Wonder, Bette Midler, David Sanborn, Dave Weckl, Kenny Loggins, Art Porter Jr., Michael Franks, Dave Koz, Felix Cavaliere, Jeff Lorber, Stuart Hamm, Jason Miles, Claus Ogerman, Boz Scaggs, Mr. Mister, Richard Pelkoff, Bill Quateman, and many other great jazz, pop, rock and blues musicians. His much-imitated style and techniques on the electric guitar can be heard throughout late 20th century and early 21st century pop, rock, jazz, and fusion music.
Feiten's songwriting (and sometimes singing) credits include tracks with the Reasons Why, the Rascals, Chicago (#18), Full Moon, Larsen-Feiten Band, Casino Lights, Whirlies, the Dave Weckl Band, and Guitar Workshop in L.A. (1988). On the latter rare CD, Feiten 'faced-off' in a 'battle of the guitarists' with three other great rock and pop fretmen, Teddy Castellucci, James Harrah, and Jeff Baxter; this was perhaps Feiten in his young-to-mature technical prime.
In latter years, Feiten's work on guitar achieved its greatest renown among jazz and rock / pop music aficionados in Germany and Japan. Some of his CDs, compilations, and re-releases were only marketed in those two countries, with minimal commercial publicity in the USA.
Feiten also invented a new tuning system for guitars, called the 'Buzz Feiten tuning system'. It is a structural system permitting the tuning of guitars and basses more accurately, specifically on the lowest 3 or 4 frets, which otherwise tend to be somewhat out-of-tune compared to notes played on the rest of the neck. The difference, though subtle, is especially evident in the playing of chords. The system involves some minor alterations to the instrument and can be retrofitted to most guitars that do not already have it. It is installed at the factory on some new guitars and basses, including those bearing the Washburn brand.
Howard 'Buzz' Feiten has been heard to credit Eric Clapton as his leading early influence on guitar.
Added 2/21/08: Steve Postell, formerly with Little Blue and Pure Prairie League, reports that Feiten is featured on three tracks on his new CD, whose release is anticipated on Immergent Records later in 2008. Postell reports that Feiten "... plays beautifully, and wrote two of the songs."
Feiten Trivia:
'The Reasons Why' were briefly known as Mogen David and the Grapes of Wrath. In 1965-66, they toured to Long Island gigs in pianist Danny Kretzer's 1950s-era Ford sedan, known jokingly as the 'low-slung Ford' for all the instruments, equipment, and players it had to carry.
Feiten was actually credited on the French Horn on one of Paul Butterfield's 1960s albums. He played in all-county and all-state orchestras on the instrument, displaying considerable talent.
Feiten's older sister Paula was a top fashion-world 'cover girl' model in the mid-1960s. A younger brother, Jon, was also involved in music and the arts.
Feiten first played Carnegie Hall in 1966, on French Horn, in a select All-American orchestra, American Youth Performs. He would later return with other major acts, such as Rickie Lee Jones.
A notable Feiten quote: "Talent presents a large target", commenting to a schoolmate on how fame and substance abuse have claimed the lives of so many of their contemporaries. By staying clean, professional, and below-the-radar, Feiten has kept his 'chops' and his professional integrity intact, carrying the genius of his productive career well into middle age.
