“Danza” by L.M. Gottschalk—would you listen to this?

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 2 Jun 2023 7:16 am

This is an incomplete test recording of a piece I’ve been working on for about two weeks. I started arranging for lap steel in C6 but wasn’t certain of the groove I wanted (though obviously a Pacific vibe), I just needed to get it under my fingers. Once I started making progress, I started to hear it, so I laid down this tester.

I found that my Clinesmith cast aluminum is the guitar for this, since its playability allows for real precision and the blade pickup doesn’t impede my picking hand, which does get a workout. I tried it on the Sol Rickenbacher but was never pleased with results.

This will be a big part of my next cd, Pacific Rag Time (okay, I just confirmed that decision in writing, but the jury is out on whether to make ragtime two words).

I think an earlier start on lap steel might have given me more impetus to compose music for the instrument, but my real true joy is in arranging and reinterpreting music. I’m glad I finally realized that. I don’t think I have the composer’s gift. The question, would you listen to this music—well, would you? Some of the pieces can be long, like this will end up in the 6 minute range, but others are short and sweet. What do you think (not that it will change my mind

)?
https://youtu.be/_pIUNTqfIS4

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 2 Jun 2023 10:08 am

Listening to it now!

First off, I'm sadly ignorant of the song, or even of Gottschalk...so I'm in a position of hearing an instrument I'm familiar with playing a song/style I'm less familiar with (that it usually isn't associated with). But hey, I just got done listening to the new KNOWER album which is a festival of oddness (but much recommended) so I can't balk at this.

There are a lot slides that sound country (that top 3rd one in the main section?) which might be the intent? Not a criticism, but again not having context for the song/style...hard to tell if it would fit better with a cleaner hit of that top note, or the quick pedal steel sounding country slide. Or slow down the slides in the Hawaiian way, but the song is not a slow one so may be tricky to put the Hawaiian spin on it very much.

Like that climbing bass at around 3:15, when it peaks (and goes back down). Great tone on that last section...so simple and singing. Also the upright bass sounds REALLY good. If you tell me that it's synth bass or band-in-a-box I'll be quite cross cause they shouldn't be getting that good sounding, haha.

The whole thing reminded me of the experimental stuff I've heard Buddy Emmons do...I think it was Pachelbel? But doing atypical styles with steel guitar. (Now far be it from me to say that we need any more adaptations of Canon in D from now unto eternity...as a string playing 7th grader I loved it but I could never hear that song again for the rest of my life)

Listening to the piano version now. I'm impressed by how you adapted it, for sure. I liked the little ornamentations you do on the main theme.

Nice job (not that that means much from me)!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 2 Jun 2023 10:34 am

I guess Pacific Rag Time could also be a reference to Bakersfield, as I am probably as indebted to that as I am to Hawaiian, which is very much.

Funny thing is, I do approach playing each differently. For a tune like The Entertainer, I go for more of a Hawaiian style because I hear it that way. But also the Rickenbacher tends to bring that out. My Clinesmith gives me a different vantage point, which I think is more of my own and a hybrid of all the styles. Hopefully I am developing my own sound, at least that’s the goal.

Thanks for listening. Yes, it’s a difficult piece to play and one of the remaining sections is the most difficult, so I am heading into the storm.

And yes, I played bass. I’m actually more proud of my bass playing than anything.

David Knutson · Post by **David Knutson** » 2 Jun 2023 12:48 pm

Yes, I would listen to this, over and over: not so much because it’s a musical style I particularly relate to, but because I enjoy the way you keep steering steel guitar into uncharted waters. “Beyond here be dragons”, but somehow you keep managing to tame them.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 2 Jun 2023 2:01 pm

Just wonderful.

Jim Mckay · Post by **Jim Mckay** » 3 Jun 2023 12:19 pm

Mike! That's incredible! You have to be very brave to attempt a piece of music like that particularly on a lap steel guitar!!! Thats amazing ability and world class playing. The tone, style, vibrato, pitch and everything else going on there is fantastic.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 3 Jun 2023 7:33 pm

Thanks for listening, everyone, and for your comments!

I forgot I had posted this to YouTube, just waking up and playing this to see how much I had retained from the night before. I still haven’t written anything out for posterity, so the video will be there to remind me later how I played it.

. Every new piece demands full attention, so it’s easy to forget what has already been done.

https://youtu.be/RtGXwWKNxhA

Paul Seager · Post by **Paul Seager** » 5 Jun 2023 8:12 am

The question, would you listen to this music—well, would you?

I will be completely honest and say: No, I don't think I would listen to this more than once. I am not even sure I'd make to the end of a 6 minute song.

I appreciate your past contributions to making lap steel a relevant instrument on jazz standards, projects that have certainly made me braver but I don't like this at all.

I can hear and appreciate the complexity and challenges you're facing but I neither like the musical style nor think that steel is the right instrument to interpret such pieces.

The fact that this won't change your mind is good to know. Happy to be proved wrong in my taste and I wish you a successful outcome to your project!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 5 Jun 2023 8:30 am

I'm reminded a lot of the stuff Bob Schaefer used to do on his extended eharp tuning. He also would take on challenging pieces from classical literature. Well played and when it changes at the 40 second mark, that sounds made for steel.

Well done.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 5 Jun 2023 8:39 am

Paul, I am not troubled or insulted by this at all.
What I am doing is experimental, and even in its original orchestration, most don't know the music.
I'm not setting out to be different, but I am willing to go out on a limb musically. I trust my gut and follow ideas wherever they may lead.
In the end, I think that I have been fortunate enough to have the freedom to pursue things, even if self-indulgent.
Picking up the instrument a little later in my career was good because it didn't get in the way too much. But as time went on and I began to play well in a few different styles, I thought I should go back to where I was musically before I started getting too deep in the steel universe. It was a long diversion: probably 5 or 6 years of nothing but steel guitar music.
I finally feel like I am almost on par on steel guitar as I was a guitarist. I play different, and I play the same in some ways.

Back to your point, the only thing this makes me think is "Maybe I need to play it better."

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 5 Jun 2023 12:40 pm

I like it ...

Matt Berg · Post by **Matt Berg** » 5 Jun 2023 6:29 pm

Mike,

Very cool, but the composition sounds to me to have the influences of where Gottschalk lived and travelled, New Orleans, Paris and the Caribbean, but not the Pacific.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 5 Jun 2023 6:55 pm

Matt, I’m not trying to be historically or stylistically accurate or anything, just having fun playing some compositions that I love in a style of my choosing, that’s all. I fall in love with something and I want play it. This music has been in my life for a long time and I think I’m ready to play it now.

Matt Berg · Post by **Matt Berg** » 5 Jun 2023 7:16 pm

Mike Neer wrote:Matt, I’m not trying to be historically or stylistically accurate or anything, just having fun playing some compositions that I love in a style of my choosing, that’s all. I fall in love with something and I want play it. This music has been in my life for a long time and I think I’m ready to play it now.

I get that. Something quintessentially flamboyant about Gottschalk, kind of a lineage that went through to James Booker.

Matt Berg · Post by **Matt Berg** » 5 Jun 2023 7:16 pm

Mike Neer wrote:Matt, I’m not trying to be historically or stylistically accurate or anything, just having fun playing some compositions that I love in a style of my choosing, that’s all. I fall in love with something and I want play it. This music has been in my life for a long time and I think I’m ready to play it now.

I get that. Something quintessentially flamboyant about Gottschalk, kind of a lineage that went through to James Booker.

Paul Seager · Post by **Paul Seager** » 6 Jun 2023 5:20 am

Back to your point, the only thing this makes me think is "Maybe I need to play it better."

Or perhaps interpret it differently.

I recently chatted with two guitarist buddies, each having returned from different workshops but, curiously both had "studied" 'I can't give you anything but love'. As I had never played this, I taught myself the tune at the weekend. Easy tune as I am sure you know but it doesn't sound quite right on steel yet - needs a touch of Sol here, a splash of Leon there, to make it right! I think that's what I'm getting at.

I promise you I will check out your end result!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 6 Jun 2023 7:31 am

I appreciate all the comments and for your listening to this test track.

Not really looking to open a Suggestion Box, so I’ll ask the mod to close this up.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 6 Jun 2023 7:41 am

Before I close this up, let me say that I already listened to it and am interested to hear how you finish this up. I like to hear re-interpretation of music in a different style, I try to do that myself sometimes.