Doug & Tommy play Cherokee!

[Peter Freiberger]

Just got back from hearing Little Jimmy Dickens play Safari Sam's in Hollywood. Pee Wee Rogers (25 years with Jimmy) played great. I got a call asking if they could borrow my seat, so I got to hang out for sound check and meet Jimmy before the show. A wonderful, gracious man.

Band leader, on guitar, was Penn Pennington. Check out "Cherokee" on his MySpace, with Doug Jernigan, Tommy White, and Brent Mason, among others. It's wild!

http://www.myspace.com/pennpennington

[Charles Davidson]

THAT IS GREEEEEEAT.WHAT MORE CAN YOU SAY.DYKBC.

[Gerry Hogan]

I can only agree with Peter and Charles! This is a fantastic track! My friend Roger Rettig sent me a link to this some weeks ago - thanks Roger - I was completely bowled over. But it's not just the stunning instrumental work from everyone involved, particularly Doug, but the a capella vocal group section at the start sets the high level of quality for the rest of the track!

I have had this in my Favourites since I first heard it. My feeble writing skills really can't convey how good I think this is! My hat is off to all the musicians, singers and Penn Pennington.

Gerry

[Don Drummer]

WOW! What a way to get the week started. Thanks so much! Don D.

[CrowBear Schmitt]

Excellent !
Thanx for the heads up Peter

[Cody Campbell]

That vocal intro sounded like something Manhattan Transfer would do. I never listened to a lot of M.T.'s stuff, but I'm a HUUUGE fan of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Anyone know about them?

__________

This version of Cherokee is GREAT!

Who's on fiddle? piano?

[Stephen Gambrell]

I found out about L,H,and R backwards. Joni Mitchell quoted their tune, "Centerpiece," on an old album in the 70's. One of the Jaco albums, but I can't remember the title.

[Jody Sanders]

Thanks for this post. I have been out of touch with my lifelong friend Penn Pennington and it is nice to know he is still out there "doing it". Thanks again, Jody.

[John Steele (deceased)]

"Centerpiece" was actually composed by trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, who played in the early Count Basie Orchestra.
-John

[Paul Graupp]

Cody: Didn't they have a song with a line in it that went:

Bend my head all out of shape
But gimme that grape !!

I strongly agree with the Manhattan Transfer comment having had the same interpetation myself when I first heard the intro.

Regards, Paul

[Cody Campbell]

Everyone,

Sorry to highjack the thread. This really is a fantastic version of Cherokee. Thanks for posting it. Great work by all the players involved.

Paul,

Yes. The title of that tune is "Gimme that wine". One of the few non-vocalese tunes by LHR. Just a feature tune for Jon, written by himself. [Jon Hendricks was the lyricist for Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, (A.K.A. the greatest vocal group of all time)].

"Gimme that wine (unhand that bottle)
Aaww, Gimme that wine (unhand that bottle)
Gimme that wine (unhand that bottle)
Beat my head outta shape, but leave my grape."

I could send you the complete lyrics, if you'd like. Or better yet, I could send you an MP3 of the tune. Just let me know.

Again, I apologize for getting off the subject of the thread, (the subject being steel music). But if you are a big fan of classic jazz and swing music, do yourselves a favor and get into LHR.

[Peter Freiberger]

Jody, and everyone else, thank forum member Bob Kramer. Bob is quite knowledgeable on steel guitar history and works at the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was on the Opry with Stonewall Jackson for many years as well. He had described Penn's unique thumb and four fingerpick style, as well as Penn's arranging talents, to me. Otherwise I wouldn't have realized who Penn was when he turned up in L.A. leading Jimmy Dickens' band and told me he now had a MySpace with "Cherokee".