“He turned out to be George Harrison’s gardener. He gave the CD to George… Next thing I know George and Olivia call to ask if we’d play at their Christmas party”: Meet Robin Nolan, the Gypsy jazz guitarist who collaborated with a Beatle

Robin Nolan wears headphones and plays a Fireglo Red Rickenbacker
(Image credit: Jason Rogan, courtesy of Robin Nolan)

On day in 1994, gypsy jazz guitarist Robin Nolan was busking in Leidseplein, a lively square in Amsterdam. A tourist bought one of his CDs. “And he turned out to be George Harrison’s gardener,” Nolan says. “He gave the CD to George, thinking he might like it. The next thing I know George and Olivia [his wife] call to ask if we’d play at their Christmas party.”

There began a friendship, with Nolan’s combo becoming what he calls “the house band” for parties at Friar Park, the Harrisons’ home (and home studio) in England’s Thames Valley.

“We played [their son] Dhani Harrison’s 21st birthday, and everyone there was famous except for us,” Nolan says with a laugh.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Ravi Shankar, the Monty Python members. We’d be doing our Django Reinhardt stuff and George would say, ‘Check these guys out!’ Our CD was in his jukebox with all his favorite music. We even got to play together. It was surreal.”

Nolan is celebrating the friendship with For the Love of George, tasteful gypsy jazz re-imaginings of 10 Harrison and Beatles songs, plus the original title track – a virtual co-write with Harrison.

That began with a texted pic Olivia sent Nolan of an envelope with a chord progression scribbled out in George’s hand. “I had to unravel the mystery of what he intended,” Nolan says. “As I played the changes, I kind of heard George’s voice humming in my head.”

NEW George Harrison Tune / 'For The Love Of George' 🎸 - YouTube NEW George Harrison Tune / 'For The Love Of George' 🎸 - YouTube
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He sent a melodic idea to Olivia.

“That was nerve-wracking. I thought, ‘God, she might hate it.’ But she texted back, “Oh, it sounds so George!’ Now the copyright says, ‘Harrison-Nolan.’ Unreal.”

As if that’s not enough, Nolan recorded the album at Friar Park. Aside from his Polak Gypsy Swing 42N, he played what he calls the “crown jewels” of George’s collection. These include the Gibson J-160E, the Rickenbacker 360 12-string and the Ramirez gut-string heard on the Beatles’ And I Love Her.”

“When you put your fingers in the same place that George put his fingers on the same guitar from an epic recording from the Beatles, and it sounds the same, it blows you away,” he says.

Nolan will be touring this year while maintaining his educational outreach via his Gypsy Jazz Club instructional books and videos. Though the soulful fluidity of Django is integral to the new album, Nolan says, “Noodling or trying to shred was out the window. With these songs, I was only thinking of George. I just wanted to play for him.”

Bill DeMain is a correspondent for BBC Glasgow, a regular contributor to MOJO, Classic Rock and Mental Floss, and the author of six books, including the best-selling 'Sgt. Pepper at 50.' He is also an acclaimed musician and songwriter who's written for artists including Marshall Crenshaw, Teddy Thompson and Kim Richey. His songs have appeared in TV shows such as 'Private Practice' and 'Sons of Anarchy.' In 2013, he started Walkin' Nashville, a music history tour that's been the #1-rated activity on Trip Advisor. An avid bird-watcher, he also makes bird cards and prints.

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