OK lets talk about the band Chicago and of course the group's founding guitarist, songwriter and singer Terry Kath
Terry Kath has been an unsung hero
He was one of the most gifted and underrated guitarist in rock history a
pioneering jazz rock guitarist who had influences of heavy rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix who became an big admirer of Kath, and jazz guitarists Joe Smith and
Wes Montgomery. He was a true natural genius when it came to his techical abilities.
People remember the 1970's pioneering jazz rock act Chicago formerly known as Chicago Transit Authority a band he formed with drummer Danny Seraphine and saxophonist Walt Parazaider in 1967 and score alot of number one hits and album sales of more than 100 million, man they should be in the rock n' roll hall of fame.
Kath learned his guitar techniques by playing the banjo his mom owned and he perfected his skills and was able to use wah wah and other gadgets in his arsenals to his guitar playing you can hear it on songs like "Poem 58", "Free Form Guitar"
a precursor to Van Halen's "Eruption" , "Uptown" , "In The Country"and "25 or 6 to 4" which he used his extended guitar solos that had jazz scales it was like having a jazz guitarist pumping steroids on his amplifier.He along with Harvey Mandel and Steve Hackett were pioneers for rock guitar in the finger tapping long before VH or Steve Vai even did this one. Kath rarely did this one in his later performances.
He was also a great songwriter with songs like the time signature Joe Eliis influenced song "Introduction" ,"Mississppi Delta City Blues", "In The Country",
the Randy Newman like acoustic number "Alma Mater" and the lists goes on and on.
His talents have been overshadowed by his tragic death which was an unfortunate event. The man was a better player than Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page put together, and he had this Ray Charles quality to his voice , He made the band looked and sounded cool on the classic rock radio stations. We will never forget his bluesy
baritone voice of "Make Me Smile" "Dialogue" and "Colour my World" to name a few.I prefer "Tell Me" that was his best vocal performance. Sadly during his lifetime he never got the respect or the recognition of his greatest talents as a great guitarist he was frst and foremost a great guitar player and I rank him in the top ten right above Clapton and Page but even with Stevie Ray Vaughan, technique wise.
He was one of a kind and what a great talent he was during his brief time in this planet. On January 23, 1978 old demons caught up with him when the legendary baritone voice and trail blazing guitar of Chicago was silenced for good as a result of an accidental gunshot wound.Although none of us can never change the tragedy but we will remember his music and the band he was in during those 11 years of gteat jazz rock . I never liked the incarnation of Chicago , it was interesting but it didn't feel like the band especially with Peter leaving abruptly and Danny getting canned by the guys.And I hated those power ballads they made them look wussy songs like "If You Leave Me Now" or "Hard to say I'm sorry" , sorry folks I hated those songs , I prefer "Feeling Stronger Every Day", "Free" or "Liberation" the rocker numbers than the ballads.Sorry if I offended fans of the power ballads i am being honest.The band was never the same after his passing.I saw him with my sister when I was a Child a while back as a nine year old. Man he was the bomb.Chris Pinnick was the closest to a Terry Kath. The other guitarists after Terry were good even Dawayne Biley but no one can be as good as a Terry Kath, there is only one Terry Kath and those are big shoes.
33 years have passed i truely believe that he and his band should be inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame, what is wrong with that darn committee. I hope and pray that terry along with Peter, Robert, Lee, Walt, Danny and Jimmy get their long overdue induction to the Rock n; Roll Hall Of Fame. I respect the survving members going out on the road playing their greatest hits but to me and other fans there will be one and that is the original guys that I mentioned. Gone are the large stadium or large arenas shows no longer the million selling records and hits they once did a while back.I prefer to remember them the way they were.
Terry Kath is still my hero and I love him like a mentor and I even play the guitar at Tribeca Bar for fun with a group of friends. I still have my Fender and i can still play "Uptown" or "In The country". Terry Allan Kath was one cool dude and a bigger than life personaility that is never forgotten. Anyway let';s check out Terry and the boys in action and you can see him finger tap during "Free Form" intro through Robert Lamm's "A Song for Richard and his Friends"
Chicago in their greatest concert film footage June 1972 in Budokan Hall , Japan
Terry and the guys playing his tribute to his idol Jimi
Hendrix "Oh Thank You Great Spirit"
Terry singing "Tell Me" 1972 written by Jimmy Guercio, we will never forget you dude we miss you and I wish you were here,
