Black Lap Steelers ?

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 29 Oct 2002 1:20 pm

Boy Howdy

were there any Black Bluesmen who played any lap Steel back in them days ?
i'm at a loss to answer this question that someones has asked me ?
a lot of slide players fo' sho' but Lap Steelers ?
Thanks...

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Steel what?

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 29 Oct 2002 1:55 pm

According to Bob Brozman's book on National guitars, B.K. Turner -- better known as Black Ace -- is probably the best known. He played a National tricone Hawaiian. Black Ace picked up the style from Oscar Buddy Woods. Casey Bill Weldon is the only other lap-steel playing black blues artist identified in the book.

A collection of Black Ace's recordings is available at http://www.arhoolie.com/titles/374.shtml

Freddie Roulette plays electric lap steel -- check out Brad Bechtel's page about him at http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/roulette.html

Max Laine · Post by **Max Laine** » 29 Oct 2002 3:02 pm

Hop Wilson

Sage · Post by **Sage** » 29 Oct 2002 3:25 pm

Trauman and Willie Eason

Post by **Joey Ace** » 29 Oct 2002 3:40 pm

Black Ace's Bio

no relation

Max Laine · Post by **Max Laine** » 29 Oct 2002 3:52 pm

Reverend Lonnie Farris! Has anyone heard this album? http://www.document-records.com/acatalog/Document_Farris_Rev_Lonnie_1285.html

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 29 Oct 2002 4:19 pm

I own and recommend the Black Ace recordings on Arhoolie.
I believe Bukka White also played lap style on occasion, but I don't have any of his stuff to be sure.
I own the Rev. Lonnie Farris CD, but it's not that good in my opinion. He had a limited set of licks and used them repeatedly.
Check out the Sacred Steelers recommended so far, and definitely Freddie Roulette!

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 29 Oct 2002 11:16 pm

Thank you all for your response.
i realize many Bluesmen played Slide or Bottleneck rather than lap steel w: a bar.
"the Blues ain't nothin' but a good Man feelin' bad"
Hasta later...

Michael Devito · Post by **Michael Devito** » 30 Oct 2002 7:07 am

I'll bet many blues musician at least mess around with steel. At the end of the Chuck Berry tribute film ("Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll", an excellent flick from the 80's, you see him moaning the blues in his garage on a console steel. Can't remember if pedal or non. But it sure sounded good ...

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 30 Oct 2002 7:36 am

Brad, Bukka White played lap syle and bottleneck. There's a great clip of him on Stephan Grossman's slide video playing 'Poor Boy'on his Duolian with some sort of metal rod. It looks like a pushrod from an engine, about 1/4" dia and 8" long. No damping there, just some chords and great rythmic strumming.

I have a slide compilation CD with Chuck Berry playing a pedal steel.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Mike D on 30 October 2002 at 07:37 AM.]</p></FONT>

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 30 Oct 2002 8:53 am

Yeah GrandPa Chuck cuts it OK !
"Blue Feeling" + "Low Feeling" are 2 cuts on the "one dozen berrys" lp (chess)from back then...
Chuck used to pop in at Scottys too
Keep 'em comin' guys

Zayit · Post by **Zayit** » 1 Nov 2002 8:47 pm

Hi Crowbear!

Sonny Rhodes played lap steel at least part of the time in his act for the last 50 years or so: http://www.sonnyrhodes.com/goodday.asp

Last time Sonny was up here (Winnipeg Folk Fest '01') I asked him who he learned it from & told me that lots of the old Texas bluesmen played lapstyle 'cause a squareneck was what was available when they learned. Check out pioneer sacred steeler Calvin Cooke also: http://www.nff.net/activities/guitar/calvin.html theres a great sample at the end of the article....

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 2 Nov 2002 11:32 am

There's lots of Freddie Roulette stuff available, prtetty raw! "Back in Chicago" on Hi Horse is a good one. L.C. Good Rockin' Robinson has a great blues CD available on Arhoolie- there are a bunch of others I can't remember right now...

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Busy in the Studio, busy on the road- but still lookin' for that Killer gig! C'mon by and visit-http://www.markvanallen.com