My new solo acoustic album "Stella" will be released on August 1. You can pre-order the digital album at http://b0blee.bandcamp.com/album/stella. A CD will also be available, but there's no pre-order mechanism for the CD.
I put an extension nut on a Harmony Stella guitar and recorded 14 songs. 9 of them are instrumentals. I sing 5 songs to give the album some variety. There's no overdubbing - it's just a straight stereo recording.
Interesting tuning, derived from the standard Dobro G I suppose. Can you elaborate on it's use. I hear you using the bass strings for rhythm and lots of partial chords. Good job b0b.
Imagine a guitar player in a room with 10 different guitars. Nice ones. You tell him (or her) to try them all out. In my experience, the guitarist will almost certainly play different things on each guitar.
A Les Paul might inspire some power chords, a Telecaster some twangy picking, an archtop might inspire some jazz licks, a nylon string might bring out some flamenco riffs. What happens is, the instrument has as much to do with what is played, as the guitarist does.
When Bobby Lee sat down with Stella (the 50 year old guitar that he acquired earlier this year) the songs that came out covered a wide spectrum of sounds.
There's the mournful Hank Williams train song, Merle Travis in an Appalachian coal mine, a defiant but heartbroken Bob Dylan, songs from Hawaii, some originals, and a tune about a sailor returning to his island sweetheart (Louie Louie!).
Clearly, Bobby grew up a child of the 1950's and 1960's (like myself) and was surrounded by diverse musical sounds.
I picture lots of record albums in Bobby's childhood home; Martin Denny to Hank Thompson and lots in between...
Bobby Lee has made a Musical Selfie!
Much like how folks take pictures of themselves in unique places, the songs on Stella are Bobby's snapshots of what came out of this wonderful meeting of a man and a guitar.
I posted it to r/BandCamp on Reddit, and got this glowing review from a fellow Redditor:
Snowball37 wrote:Man, this is a good album. It brings me back to the classic Memphis Blues that I wish I has experienced first hand. "Don't Think Twice" is a heartbreaker, from the opening notes, to the subtle, plaintive vocal delivery. Loving the sound of that Stella...
I've completed a chord book of the Stella album, for anyone who wants to play along on guitar, bass or ukelele. You can get it at the Cloverdale Music Workshop site: http://cloverdalemusicworkshop.com/foru ... nd-lyrics/
Great CD, b0b, love the way you've interpreted all of those tunes....this one will reside in the car's player for a long time! -Michael
Two Spector 5 string basses, Martin D-18, Taylor 812CE, 1944 Epiphone Zenith, a killer Luttrell 6 string resophonic, 1932 Model 56 Dobro, Beard Model E, Martin Soprano Uke, 10 string 1953 Alkire Eharp, Peavey Nashville 112, Fender Bassman, Fender 75 watt Rumble, and a Fender 100 watt Rumble.
I do love that song, Jim, but I don't think I could do it justice in this tuning (G B D F# A D).
I think the tuning has bigger possibilities than you think for someone with the time, energy and inclination to explore it fully on either electric or acoustic lap steel.
Quote:
I can't wait to hear the rest, this is right up my alley. Absolutely enthralled with the raw, soulful and heartfelt vocals, and the steel is gorgeous!
Mark Smalley
Snowball37 wrote:
Man, this is a good album. It brings me back to the classic Memphis Blues that I wish I has experienced first hand. "Don't Think Twice" is a heartbreaker, from the opening notes, to the subtle, plaintive vocal delivery. Loving the sound of that Stella...
Andy Volk
Posted: 31 Jul 2014 3:20 am Post subject:
Wow, just when you think you've got somebody pegged they totally surprise you. Really nice, B0b!
It took 3 people to sum up my feelings about the CD which I got to hear in its' entirety for the first time last night. My limited web access made a pre-hearing of any consequence impossible.
