Legendary rock guitarist performs at intimate Bay Area club

Phil Manzanera makes my Top 5 favorite guitarists list.

The fact that I’m always trying to shoehorn in about 27 players into that Top 5 list — after all, can’t leave out Drew Abbott from Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band — doesn’t make Manzanera’s inclusion any less valid.

He’s a marvelously expressive, powerful and diversely appealing guitarist, best known for his time with art-rock superheroes Roxy Music. The run of records he did with Roxy — from 1972’s epic self-titled debut to 1982’s all-time great “Avalon” — secured the highly influential band’s place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

Yet, his accomplishments stretch well beyond the Roxy Music ranks, including issuing acclaimed solo albums (such as 1975’s compelling “Diamond Head”) and appearing with a number of other groups (most notably, the experimental supergroup 801 with fellow Roxy mate Brian Eno).

Manzanera is also a longtime David Gilmour collaborator, co-producing two of the classic-rock titan’s solo albums as well as Pink Floyd’s “The Endless River,” and playing in Gilmour’s band on a pair of high-profile tours.

Manzanera’s production credits further include working with John Cale, Split Enz and Enrique Bunbury, to name but a few. Manzanera even spent some time as the musical director for Bob Dylan and is probably still cashing checks from one of his songs being sampled on the Jay-Z and Kanye West single “No Church in the Wild.”

His far-reaching career is the subject of a new 11-disc box set retrospective — “50 Years of Music” — as well as his 2024 memoir “Revolución to Roxy.”

Manzanera will celebrate those efforts during an evening of words and music on Feb. 19 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. The show will consist of a Q&A with journalist Anil Prasad, as well as solo musical performances from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer himself. Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $20-$55; gamh.com.

The gig also doubles as one of the opening night shows for the annual Noise Pop Festival, which runs Feb. 19-March 1 at a number of different Bay Area venues. For more information, visit noisepopfest.com.

I recently had the chance to catch up with Manzanera, who dialed in over Zoom from his home in the U.K.

Q: Hey, Phil — so good to talk with you again. We last chatted before the Roxy Music 50th anniversary tour played Chase Center in San Francisco in 2022. That was the first Roxy show in the Bay Area since a pair in 2001. And the one before that was way back in 1983. That’s about every 20 years. So, should I mark 2042 on my calendar for the next Roxy Music gig in the Bay Area?

A: Yeah, and also you could create an avatar of yourself to watch us as avatars. (Laughs) No, that 2022 tour was the last tour (for Roxy Music). And that’s it. There are no more tours. There’s no more live playing. That’s why it was so special because I knew that there weren’t going to be anymore. And I was looking at the people in the audience, thinking, “Wow, this is amazing! To see some of you guys, who obviously (got into the band) right at the beginning, and this is a great way to say goodbye.”

Also, I was very proud of the show that we put on because it was the first time — and, as it turned out, the last time — we were ever able to play our music with the all the iconography up on the screens.

We did it justice. I mean, it cost an absolute fortune. We didn’t realize how much it would cost to have those screens, but I don’t regret it for one minute.

Q: Why do you sound so certain that Roxy Music will never tour again?

A: Obviously, we deal with stuff together because we have ongoing releases and catalog stuff and things like that. But in terms of touring — I mean, Bryan (Ferry of Roxy Music) is 80. It was pretty taxing for him.

And there comes a point where you just don’t want to see him struggle. And I think we’ve done our bit. When we got to the (tour) end, at the O2 in London, me and Andy (Mackay of Roxy Music) said, “You know what? I think we should just quit while we’re sort of ahead and not do any more.”

Q: Has Bryan told you that he’s not even going to play solo anymore?

A: I don’t think he will. But, you know, I can’t say 100 percent — but I think 99 percent.

Q: I caught a couple of the 50th anniversary shows — at Chase and then a couple of nights later for the U.S. tour closer at The Forum in Los Angeles — and they were both brilliant.

A: It was nice to play those songs as Roxy and really try hard to make them sound good and have some resonance for the people listening.

Q: No offense to Bryan, Andy and “The Great Paul Thompson,” but your guitar playing was the absolute highlight of those shows for me. And you looked like you were really enjoying yourself on those big rockers — “Ladytron,” “In Every Dream Home a Heartache,” “Out of the Blue.”

A: Yeah, it’s no secret, I really loved that. It was great fun. We had all the tech and all the ability to try and do what I do in the right context, you know? It was a great experience and people seemed to like it. So, that was good.

Q: It was better than that just good. It was phenomenal.

A: And now, back to small — doing small things. So when I come and do my talk, I do play guitar. But it’s a different kind of thing.

I don’t have a big road crew. In fact, I don’t have any road crew. So, I’m back to basics. I have the smallest amp known to man — which has the biggest sound. You’ll be amazed when you see it. I am. I’ve gone from the biggest rig in the world to the tiniest thing. But it sounds great.

Q: Tell me more. What should we expect from the show you’re doing at the Great American Music Hall?

A: OK, so basically, there are two halves. And there’s an interval in the middle. Each half is about 45 minutes long. And it’s like people eavesdropping on a conversation between me and a friend — in this case, a famous journalist, Anil — just discussing Roxy, trying to make sense of it, trying to make sense of being a rock ‘n’ roll musician for 50 years, trying to make sense of where we are in the whole rock ‘n’ roll industry. Then throwing in a few songs from my solo albums.

Then I do a 20-minute sort of mashup, where I play along to a whole bunch of Roxy and solo and 801 stuff and you try and guess where everything comes from. So, it’s for the aficionado to think, “Right, I think that’s from ‘801 Live’” or “Is that from “Avalon?” That kind of thing.

And then I play some tracks, which I’ve created using the backing tracks from the original people playing on it. Say, for instance, when I play “Diamond Head,” it has Eno on it and Paul Thompson, John Wetton, Eddie Jobson playing the backing. And I sort of wail on top.

So, it’s a bit of fun, really.

Q: It sounds like it. I can’t wait.

A: Then I sign the books in the interval, and people come up and have a little chat. It’s a fun evening, really. And then I’m gone.

Q: What kinds of questions will Anil be asking you in San Francisco?

A: I asked him not to tell me any of the questions. I have no idea what he’s going to do. You know, I said, “You can ask anything.” So, I’m slightly worried, now that I said that — but hey, I’m ready.

Q: What’s the one question you’ve been asked in interviews more than any other?

A: Well, there’s just so many different ones. There are the classic ones: What are your favorite gigs? What’s your favor color?

Blue, by the way.

Q: Favorite color? Whoa – I didn’t know journalists actually asked that question.

A: They don’t. I’m only kidding. Often, people say, “I hear when you failed in your audition for Roxy that you became their roadie.” So, I have to then explain about that. I won’t tell you now, but that didn’t happen. But there’s a great story that goes with that.

So, yeah, things like that. Or, you know: When did you first meet David Gilmour?

Q: Speaking of Mr. Gilmour, I really missed you on his last tour in 2024. It was always such a rare privilege to see the two of you — two of my all-time favorite guitarists — sharing the stage.

A: It was great fun (playing with Gilmour). That period was like 10 years. So, I mean, fair play — it was time for him to refresh his brand.

Q: What’s it like performing with Gilmour?

A: It was a treat, obviously. I’ve known him since I was almost 16, so to actually be out on a stage with him after all this time was just incredible. And, out in the country, I live next door.

He’s obviously a fantastic guitarist. And his voice is amazing. He’s a terrific man.

Q: One other relationship I wanted to ask you about — because it’s stretched throughout so many of your projects — is with Andy Mackay. What is it about that relationship that continues to call to you and inspire you?

A: Well, I guess we just get on and, you know, he’s a very funny guy — sense of humor and easy to get on with. And he plays instruments that I love — the oboe, in particular, and the saxes.

We complement each other. We don’t compete for stuff and also we have a good sort of call and response. If I play something, he’ll play something back, which makes me then respond. We’re having like musical conversations.

Q: Any plans to bring your current project with Mackay — AM PM — to the States? I know it’s expensive to bring it across the Atlantic.

A: That’s the problem. I have made inquiries all last year about the possibilities and, at the moment, nothing has come up on it. It’s very difficult to come and tour with all the expenses. The visas cost enormous amount of money now, so unless you’re doing stadiums and things like that, it’s very difficult to do. But we’re working on it.