Lap Steel Blues Players - Suggested Listening

Allan Revich · Post by **Allan Revich** » 30 Jun 2020 8:58 pm

I thought it would be nice to have a reference list thread of blues and rock musicians that play lap steel. Please add to it.

Sonny Rhodes https://youtu.be/JaGqbG33Spo
Robert Randolph https://youtu.be/SsskXT0_eoc
Freddie Roulette https://youtu.be/zX06XkUhkbs
David Lindley https://youtu.be/tr3Jp_aF1Ok
Megan Lovell (Larkin Poe) https://youtu.be/cEWiJR9qeoc
John Paul Jones https://youtu.be/vp0VNnWncgQ

Thereâ€™s a half dozen to get the party started.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 30 Jun 2020 10:12 pm

"Blues/Rock".

Sounds like a term that would not have been heard of until the mid 60s or later, so Gene Phillips, L.C. Robinson, and Hop Wilson may be off-limits.

And a bunch of other guys that are closer to rock and roll, pop, or rockabilly.

Allan Revich · Post by **Allan Revich** » 30 Jun 2020 10:27 pm

Mitch Drumm wrote:"Blues/Rock".

Sounds like a term that would not have been heard of until the mid 60s or later, so Gene Phillips, L.C. Robinson, and Hop Wilson may be off-limits.

And a bunch of other guys that are closer to rock and roll, pop, or rockabilly.

Early blues references would also be great!

EDIT: original post changed from blues/rock to â€œblues and rockâ€œ

Joel Bloom · Post by **Joel Bloom** » 1 Jul 2020 6:11 am

This is some great bluesy playing by Matt Walker..
https://youtu.be/onr7kONkZWo

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 1 Jul 2020 6:31 am

Hop Wilson! He only made about 25 sides. From the sound of the records they were mostly first takes, not all rehearsed and pretty rough. However, he had great feel, even when a bit out of tune! Perfectionists probably would turn up their noses but I found him to be inspirational.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 1 Jul 2020 10:43 am

Glenn Ross Campbell (e.g., The Misunderstood, Juicy Lucy, and more) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrRImjZlD38, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJIXBmYQSms, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEp4P1fEPyo. There are some threads about him on the forum.

Gib Wharton (Holmes Brothers and more) - e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncvf98Belvs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m9J13gS8ss. Gib hasn't come up in a while, but there are some threads about him here. Some of his work with them was pedal and some nonpedal.

Definitely check out Hop Wilson! E.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwufnpPilMU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ_CwqBGUkU. There have been some threads here about him too.

And lots of what is termed Sacred Steel fits, musically speaking, with blues, although it definitely is on the gospel side. Some of these folks post pretty routinely here on the forum. Check 'em out.

I know most people here don't consider it steel, but there are some slide guitar players who can do pretty much anything a nonpedal steel player can in the blues and rock dept. Sonny Landreth especially comes to mind. IMO, very useful to listen to for ideas on both slide guitar and steel.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 1 Jul 2020 11:40 am

If youâ€™re playing lap steel and youâ€™re not playing blues, what are you doing? (That is a rhetorical question)

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 1 Jul 2020 1:50 pm

Sol Hoopii, he's like the Robert Johnson of the steel......to me anyways

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 1 Jul 2020 2:26 pm

Mike Neer wrote:If youâ€™re playing lap steel and youâ€™re not playing blues, what are you doing? (That is a rhetorical question)

This!!!!!

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 1 Jul 2020 3:47 pm

And the elephant in the room - Blind Willie Johnson.

It is generally agreed by people who know anything about him that he played this with a knife on his lap, as a lap steel. But surviving pictures generally show him playing in Spanish position. And so, people here generally relegate him to "not a steel guitar player".

I'll let y'all decide. To me it makes no difference. It's all "steel guitar" to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNj2BXW852g or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsvuoHQyloY - I think one was remixed for a bit better sound (you tell me which).

If I could ever get half of the soul he expressed while playing, I'd die a happy man.

Jeff Highland · Post by **Jeff Highland** » 1 Jul 2020 4:58 pm

Harry Manx

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 1 Jul 2020 5:44 pm

The closest I usually come to playing blues on steel is when I turn on a backing track of Coltrane's Equinox. Turn the gain up a bit to get some frizzy sax-like hair...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m2HN2y0yV8

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 1 Jul 2020 6:26 pm

For earlier blues on acoustic steel guitar you might want to check out Casey Bill Weldon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhH_k78FdFo

In the same vein there is Black Ace who played blues on a style 2 tricone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRzvW10J0Y8

Brian Saulsman · Post by **Brian Saulsman** » 1 Jul 2020 7:10 pm

Following Dave Mudgettâ€™s lead, I once heard David Lindley mention Earl Hooker as an inspiration.

All the best
Brian Saulsman

Joe Burke · Post by **Joe Burke** » 2 Jul 2020 9:55 am

What do all of you use to get a nice blues sound on a dobro or resonator? I think blues player often use glass bottleneck slides.

Anyone have a glass bulges slide?

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 3 Jul 2020 3:43 pm

Joe Burke wrote:What do all of you use to get a nice blues sound on a dobro or resonator? I think blues player often use glass bottleneck slides.

Anyone have a glass bulges slide?

Proper blues tunings like E/D or low bass A/G and lots of practice.

Vladimir Sorokin · Post by **Vladimir Sorokin** » 4 Jul 2020 3:26 am

Late Steinar Gregertsen was a great steel guitar player from Norway.

https://youtu.be/cS3Qc1GFBtg?list=OLAK5 ... zFtBuxoVGo

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... ture=share

Vladimir Sorokin · Post by **Vladimir Sorokin** » 4 Jul 2020 3:43 am

Also Mike Dowling plays some of his songs on lap steel.

And of course, Cindy Cashdollar!

Dennis Conklin · Post by **Dennis Conklin** » 4 Jul 2020 9:19 am

My wife and I have really been enjoying Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe on their "Peach" album - for something pretty recent!

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 4 Jul 2020 10:04 am

Although he doesnâ€™t play a lot of blues, itâ€™s hard to beat Jerry Douglasâ€™s version of â€œon a Mondayâ€. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFU-efgM03g

+1 on Harry Manx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2xMviYC5l4