Gala to Celebrate Les Paul's 98th Birthday

Guests at Saturday night's event can expect food, drink, memorabilia auctions, a guitar raffle, and a performance by the Les Paul Trio.

As part of the culmination of a two-year long exhibit that’s set to close at the end of the month, the Mahwah Museum is celebrating what would have been Les Paul’s 98th birthday in style. Saturday night starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Trustees Pavilion of Ramapo College, the Museum will honor the late inventor, who spent many years living in Mahwah. Guests can expect: Tickets for this second annual Gala can be purchased online or at the door. They are $30 each, and proceeds benefit the Mahwah Museum. Submit your questions or news tips to jessica.mazzola@patch.com. And, remember to sign up for Patch's daily newsletter, and get updates on Facebook and Twitter.

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Renowned Les Paul Exhibit Ending Two-Year Run

The Mahwah Museum announced locals have only one month left to see its most popular exhibit ever.

The most popular Mahwah Museum exhibit of all time is coming to an end. The Museum will close for the summer on June 30, and along with it the ‘Les Paul in Mahwah,’ exhibit, which has been attracting visitors from far and wide since it opened in 2011. The exhibit, which warranted a write-up by the New York Times, and has been the buzz amongst music lovers since it opened, displays many of the artifacts found in the inventor’s township home. It recreates his recording studio, shows early inventions, photographs and videos, and – of course – a collection of Les Paul guitars. Originally planned to have a yearlong run, the exhibit was extended last year to run through June 30, 2013. After that, the exhibit will be downsized to a corner of the …

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Museum to Raffle Off Les Paul Signed Guitars

Tickets are available now, and the guitars will be raffled off at a gala in honor of what would have been the inventor’s 98th birthday

The Mahwah Museum announces a raffle of two guitars autographed by Les Paul, the legendary guitarist and inventor.  The winning tickets will be drawn at 9:30 p.m. on June 8, 2013 at the Trustees Pavilion at Ramapo College at a gala celebration of what would have been Les Paul’s 98th birthday. First prize is a White Epiphone Guitar, Les Paul Standard Royal, body autographed by Bucky Pizzarelli, Lou Pallo and others – pick guard autographed by Les Paul, circa 2007. Second prize is an Epiphone Mahogany Guitar, Les Paul Studio, autographed by Lou Pallo, Peter Frampton, Al Caiola and Peter Townshend. Third Prize – Les Paul and Mary Ford 45 rpm record and Gibson Ad, autographed by Les Paul. Raffle tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at the…

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Second Annual Les Paul Birthday Gala Coming to Mahwah

The township will celebrate what would have been the inventor's 98th birthday

On Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. the Mahwah Museum is hosting The Les Paul 98th Birthday Gala at The Trustees Pavilion at Ramapo College of New Jersey.  The Gala will include live music with Bucky Pizzarelli, Lou Pallo, and the Les Paul Trio, a silent auction of Les Paul memorabilia, and a live auction of Les Paul guitars and other music memorabilia. Wine, hors d’oerves, light fare and birthday cake will be served, and a raffle drawing for two autographed guitars will be held.       On Tuesday, April 16, Charles Carreras and Jim Wysocki will give a Gallery Talk “The Genius of Les Paul” The gallery talk will take place in the upstairs gallery of the Mahwah Museum, 201 Franklin Turnpike. Admission is $10. Seating is limited, so …

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Les Paul Gallery Talk Tuesday

The inventor's former bandmate is coming to the township

Play Les Paul's Guitars Wednesday

Locals can play guitars once owned by the Mahwah inventor at the Museum

Les Paul Bandmate Playing in Late Inventor's Honor

Show next week is part of the "Les Paul in Mahwah" exhibit

The guitarist credited with bringing longtime Mahwah resident and famed inventor Les Paul out of his self-imposed retirement will be in the township next week sharing stories about the late music man and playing some of the songs they played together at clubs in and around NYC. As part of the Mahwah Museum’s ongoing exhibit “Les Paul in Mahwah,” Bucky Pizzarelli, an Upper Saddle River resident, will perform a tribute to Paul next Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. The Museum released the following description of what attendees can expect from Pizzarelli and his student, Ed Laub, at their Gallery Talk next Tuesday: Laub and Pizzarelli will return to the Mahwah Museum on February 5 for a gallery talk in which they will recount stories about their…

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Museum to Tell Story of Les Paul's Personal Guitars

Reservations are suggested for this Gallery Talk event

On Tuesday, January 22, Rik Mercaldi will present a Gallery Talk “The Story of the Les Paul Guitars on Display at the Mahwah Museum.” The talk will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Mahwah Museum. The talk is part of the year-long celebration of “Les Paul in Mahwah,” a tribute to the creative musical genius who lived in Mahwah for over 50 years.  Rik Mercaldi, owner of the Strumming Monkey, and an expert on vintage guitars, will discuss the guitars on display in the Les Paul exhibit, which were once owned and prized by Les Paul. Each of these guitars – including Les’s own performance guitar with the Les Paulverizer attached and a model specially made for Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin -- has its own unique story. Rik is a buyer…

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Les Paul Friends Returning to Mahwah for Talk on Inventor

Reservations are required to see Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Laub share stories about the Mahwah guitar virtuoso

Nationally renowned guitarists, Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Laub, recently visited the Mahwah Museum to play Les Paul’s Sunburst 1937 Gibson L-7 Acoustic Guitar. The guitar from Les Paul’s personal collection is on display at the Museum. Loaned to the Museum by a local collector—this instrument was the first experimental one used by Les Paul in his quest to perfect the electric guitar. Although an acoustic guitar -- which ordinarily needs no amplification – the wood body of the guitar contains holes into which Paul placed phonograph needles to experiment with amplification. Bucky Pizzarelli, a long-time resident of Upper Saddle River, is widely known for bringing Les Paul out of his self-imposed retirement in the 1970’s. Originally performing …

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Les Paul Tribute Concert This Weekend

The Les Paul Trio will perform its second annual tribute to the late inventor and musician

The following is a release from the Mahwah Museum. The Les Paul Trio – Lou Pallo, John Colianni and Nicki Parrott– will perform the Second Annual Tribute to Les Paul at the Russ and Angelica Berrie Center for the Performing Arts at Ramapo College this Saturday, September 29 at 8 p.m.  The concert will benefit the Music Program at Ramapo College and the Mahwah Museum.   For 40 years, Lou Pallo performed with the legendary Les Paul, the inventor and jazz guitarist who lived in Mahwah for 50 years prior to his death in 2009.  Pallo, a resident of Haskell, New Jersey – who was a mainstay of Les Paul’s Monday night performances at the Iridium in New York – is an accomplished guitarist and the star of  “Thank You, Les” a CD/DVD Set featuring …

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