(Anaheim, Jan 18-21, 2007)
Notes by Rick Shubb
 The NAMM show in Anaheim was again a blockbuster for us. It is always our biggest show of the year, and seems to get bigger each year. Our booth was staffed by our full A-Team: my right-hand-man Gary Mobley, my partner Dave Coontz, and my dear friends Raul Reynoso, Mike Phelan, and Kelly Jordan. Oh, and me, too. Working with such good people makes the show fly by.
For the past few years, each Friday night at the NAMM show we have co-sponsored a concert, along with our friends at Saga Musical Instruments. These events have now become legendary, and a major highlight of the show; not only for ourselves, but for our many guests. This year's concert was no exception. It featured...
Lulo Reinhardt
grandnephew of Django Reinhardt, and keeper of the flame.
This was Lulo Reinhardt's first trip to the USA, and his one and only appearance on this trip. It was a privilege and a pleasure to be able to present this phenomenal artist in concert. The concert also featured the formidable talents of Raul Reynoso with New West, the Palm Springs Yacht Club, violinist Daniel Weltlinger from Australia, and Saga's own Tora Bora Boys.
pictures from the concert below...
Not ALL of the action was at the Friday night show, though. Our 30-foot booth gives us some room to dedicate to playing music — without interfering with business —and we were visited by some truly outstanding musicians.
Harvey Reid, acoustic guitar virtuoso and partial capo pioneer, favored us with two sets in which he explored the intricacies of using multiple and partial capos. No one does it better. Harvey was largely responsible for our developing our partial capo back in 1995, and he's the perfect performer to demonstrate its use.
Talented singer-songwriter-guitarist SONiA was on hand. Her infectious style of performance and great songs brought a positive energy and warmth to the booth.
Latin guitarist Roger Espinoza was with us again this year. During his set, Lulo Reinhardt and I were sitting at the table just about three feet from where he was playing. Lulo was enjoying the music, and tapping rhythmically on the tabletop in accompanyment.
"Do you play guitar?" asked Roger. While Lulo is well-known in Europe, most people, even players, in the USA aren't yet familiar with him.
The resulting, impromptu jam was truly memorable.
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Harvey Reid exploring the possibilities of multiple and partial capos. |
Roger Espinoza and Lulo Reinhardt.
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SONiA — one of my favorite endorsers! |
Roger Espinoza, Lulo Reinhardt, and me horning in on the act.
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Rick Shubb, SONiA, Lulo Reinhardt |
Lulo Reinhardt, Doug Martin, Daniel Weltlinger.
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Luis Villegas trio, with Joe Garcia |
On Sunday, Luis Villegas brought his trio and his own brand of Latin jazz to the booth. These guys have really become a favorite of mine and many others, as people asked all weekend if they would be performing. Their set drew quite a crowd, and brought considerable excitement to the booth.
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Luis Villegas |
The three caballeros.
Mike Phelan, Gary Mobley, Raul Reynoso
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"As always, Dave."
Mr. Coontz, my partner since before dirt was invented. |
I was pleased to have Kelly Jordan on board again this year. |
At the 2005 show I took some pictures with our commemorative TWO MILLIONTH capo on the millionth Martin guitar. Well, this year it was SANTA CRUZ GUITARS' turn. A much younger company, they were celebrating their 10,000th guitar. The guitar is really a thing of beauty! Never one to miss a photo-op, I brought the two millionth Shubb Capo (solid gold, engraved, and inlaid with diamonds and a sapphire) down to Santa Cruz Guitars' booth, and company president Richard Hoover and I took some pictures.
What do the millionth Martin and the 10,000th Santa Cruz have in common? Besides both being fine guitars, both were inlaid by the master of guitar inlay Larry Robinson, and both are eye-popping examples of his exquisite art.
Take a closer look at this incredibly beautiful guitar...
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The Friday Night Event
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Saga's Tora Bora Boys
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Kenny Blackwell, special guest with New West
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Rick Shubb introducing New West |
 David Jackson |
John Reynolds, Westy Westenhofer
of Palm Springs Yacht Club 
John and Westy, caught in an act of "bi-labial fricatation" |
Bob Reitmeier
of Palm Springs Yacht Club
best clarinet player on (or off) the planet.
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Lulo Reinhardt |
Daniel Weltlinger |
Westy and Lulo |
Doug Martin |
Raul and Lulo |
...and the man who made the whole evening go smoothly, our musical director (who also sweeps out the booth at night)
...RAUL REYNOSO!
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pictures and wraps from...
2010: Winter NAMM 2010 |
2009: Winter NAMM 2009 | Summer NAMM 2009 (Nashville)
2008: Winter NAMM 2008 | Musicmesse Frankfurt 2008 | Summer NAMM 2008 (Nashville)
2007: Winter NAMM 2007 | Musikmesse Frankfurt 2007 | Summer NAMM 2007 (Austin) | Healdsburg Guitar Festival | Music China '07 |
2006: Winter Namm 2006 | Musikmesse Frankfurt 2006 | Summer NAMM 2006 (Austin) | Music China 2006 |
2005: Winter NAMM 2005 | Summer NAMM 2005 (Indianapolis) | James Burton Guitar Festival 2005 |
2004 and earlier: Summer NAMM 2004 (Nashville) | Summer NAMM 2003 (Nashville) | Musikmesse Frankfurt 2003
past Winter NAMM shows |
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