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Topic: A Very Good Guitarist and Lap Steel Guitarist |
Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 2 Jul 2008 11:22 pm |
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I believe that a possible re-incarnation of steel guitar could be with a combination of its sounds with the "surf" guitar style of playing. I have recently experimented with this combination and have found it to be fascinating. I wish to introduce here Richard Bennett, who is Mark Knopfler's rhythm guitarist , and a guitarist and lap steel guitarist par excellence in his own right. And a great guy too.
Attended Mark Knopfler's concert in LA at the beautiful "Greek Theater" last Friday and, man, what deep and rich tones from those guitars! There was a lonely Tricone dobro on stage too which, to my impatience, did not get used. Richard told me later that they just did not get down to the tune in which it would have been featured. C'est la vie. However, there were plenty of compensations...
I attach here, with Richard's kind permission, an excerpt of his very own composition, "Aquanetta". This track is one of two" Hawaiian- influenced" tracks from his CD "Themes From a Rainy Decade". In it Richard plays both "surf" and lap steel guitar. "Acquanetta" has to be one of the best recent Hawaiian-style instrumental compositions I have heard.
http://www.4shared.com/file/53684445/52b63050/Aquanetta_excerpt.html
This combination of guitar and lap steel is one of the loveliest I have heard lately. Some of you might agree...
Enjoy!
Kay |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 4:34 am
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| That sound great, makes me want to hear more. |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 4:36 am
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Thanks Kay, and for what it's worth totally I agree. Richard's playing is very nice indeed and the combo of his and Mark Knopfler's playing is awesome and both are tone meisters. I did not know that Richard played lap steel but I was familiar with his guitar work. He has an excellent website in case anyone wants to check him out and there are sound samples of his two solo CD's on there (richardbennett.com).
In "Aquanetta" (from his 2004 release "Themes From A Rainy Decade"), in addition to the electic guitar and steel I love the acoustic guitar and vibraphone in the background... very cool. This one is on my must-have list.
_________________
https://markmansueto.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/65dQ3EyZC2RaqawA8gPlRy?si=dOdqc5zxSKeJI9cISVVx_A |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 8:11 am
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Here is the correct link for Richard's site:
http://www.richard-bennett.com/
Thanks Kay for hipping me to this incredible guitarist.
Last edited by Bill Leff on 3 Jul 2008 8:55 am; edited 3 times in total |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 8:29 am
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| Very nice - thanks for the link - beautiful tone and execution. Richard has been a hugely influential musician and producer these last 30+ years, and hopefully others will catch this wave, pun intended. I did not know his steel guitar background went so far back, but I see credits back to the 70s. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 8:32 am
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| If you click on Richard's site and go to "Gallery", you can see a video of a jam on the song Caravan featuring Richard on a Bakelite Rick. It's the 7th one on the top row at the far right. |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 9:11 am A humble man...
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A humble and a great man is he who says he is "still learning to play the guitar" !
Mark Knopfler and Richard Bennet are both influenced by Hank Marvin and they have taken Hank's style into beautiful new dimensions. We, in the steel guitar community, can be inspired!
Richard changed guitars every tune on stage at the Greek for variety of tone, well over 20 guitars, I did not count. And there were guitars on stage and in the wings that he did not use. He is a perfectionist and produces a tone "to die for". "Rainy Decade" is available on CDBaby.
Kay |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 12:06 pm
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| Both of Richard's CDs are available from iTunes, $9.99 each.. |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 1:40 pm
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Beautiful playing, I have to check out his CDs.
Steinar
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 2:05 pm CDs
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You may download either of his CDs from iTunes, as Bill Leff points out, or individual tracks at 99 cents each. Or you may purchase the CD from CDBaby. There are nice liner notes on the CD, written by Mark Knopfler. The second CD "Code Red Cloud Nine" is also excellent but very different.
"Rainy Decade" has two "Hawaiian" style tracks, Aquanetta (tk 6) and Hawkins Street (tk 9). My favourite is A Face With No Name (tk 11) which has no steel guitar but I can hear a lot of steel in it!!!
Richard tells me he is planning a steel guitar album after his hectic current World tour with Mark Knopfler is over... |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 2:08 pm
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| apologies, tk 11 is "A Face No More" |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 3:41 pm
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Nice collection...... 
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 6:02 pm
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Kay, when speaking of Richard, as the saying goes, "you are preaching to the choir" - at least as far as myself and several others here are concerned.
For those not familiar with Richard, one big chunk of his resume is that he was Neil Diamond's lead guitarist for about 15 years.
He was also part of the Notorious Cherry Bombs with Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, etc.
But working with Mark Knopfler, that 's where I like him the best - have seen them a couple times together in the past few years, but unfortunately I could not attend the show last weekend at the Bay Area venue also known as the Greek Theater on the campus of U.C. Berkeley.
Richard is the consummate professional, and I love his solo CD's as well.
_________________
Mark |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 12 Jul 2008 12:09 am Berkeley concert
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Mark,
Give this a listen since you missed the UCBerkeley concert. It is a live recording at the Greek at UCB posted on the web by someone unknown to me. I will only keep it up for a few days. Rich guitar tones to die for ...notwithstanding the feed from the PA... I agree with you about the way Richard and Mark combine their guitar sounds. Hope this catches some of the atmosphere for you.
"Shangri-la" is a beautiful tune. Steel guitar, anyone?
http://www.4shared.com/file/54852936/ae70a0ed/Shangri-la.html
Kay |
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nick allen
From:
France
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Posted 12 Jul 2008 4:56 am
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On the Knopfler/EmmyLou Harris "Real Live Roadrunning" DVD, there is a "pre-concert jam" sequence, with Richard Bennett on lap steel playing, I *think* (but can't remember for sure) the old tune "Redwing". Whatever the tune, it's some very nice playing...
Nick |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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