Having another steeler in the band

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 30 Sep 2004 10:56 am

I knew that I would get some great responses and you guys did not disappoint. Thanks so much for the advice and encouragement.

A couple of posts cry out for response:

I'm afraid you'll just have to kill him...

y'know, Jim---that's what I thought but this guy I know who's a lawyer....well he's not actually a lawyer but in the summer he mows the lawn of a lawyer...not a very good lawyer but my friend does a lousy job on the lawn so it's ok....so anyway he sez Jon, he sez, there are some places in this country where you might run into problems if you kill him. Get a bleeding heart liberal judge and the next thing you know they are worrying about the other guy, the good steel player, the guy you, like, killed, and they are persecuting YOU. Up is down and down is sideways. It's a world gone mad.

Reece:

....never compete with anyone but yourself.

Thank you sincerely for the simple yet profound message. Unfortunately, somehow every time I play out this scenario in my mind I end up losing. Can't quite figure.....

Nick--no secrets. The young lady is Karen Hudson. Jimmy Nations just bailed and the guitar is being picked up by Jimmy's steel/guitar man Skip Krevens. We've got an Oct 21 Baggot Inn and a Nov. 3 Lakeside coming up. Unfortunately this whole thing is a struggle because she can't keep band members for various reasons. Every rehearsal seems to be to break in a new bass player. Since I got involved, first bass player was a no show at my first gig, next lasted one gig and walked, last one ditched after one rehearsal (and we were only rehearsing for the bass players sake--there's a waste of good time) and I'm getting tired of the drama. I don't reckon I'm too long for this deal but I do, after reading a lot of what's been written here, look forward to playing with Skip.
Thank you all again.

Lawrence Lupkin · Post by **Lawrence Lupkin** » 30 Sep 2004 11:30 am

I just checked out her website, but the mp3s wouldn't work. What kind of stuff is it? Will this be the swingier side of Jon? And no, I don't mean like that. For crying out loud, I just ate!

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 30 Sep 2004 12:09 pm

Hey Jon,
I did a gig last July, with Skip on bass and me on steel. It was an outside venue on a showmobile, and we had a great time. That guy can play about anything with strings on it. He's going to play the P.S.G.A. steel show in November, up in Norwalk,CT. Can't wait to hear him play the steel again. Go ahead and have fun. He's a true musician, who appreciates a good time on stage.
P.S.- He was playing bass through a Nashville 400

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 30 Sep 2004 8:39 pm

Jon.Go for it.I started playing pro on fiddle back in the 50's.Wanted to learn steel.Worked with some great steel players and some not so great.The good steel players were always glad to help and show me things.I learned things from good steel players that would have taken me years to learn on my own.I posted this before but in case you didn't see it,i have been spooked by the best.In Lubbock Tx.i was playing fiddle in the band and had a fender string master .I bought a multichord to see what the pedals did.Wouldn't you know it soon as they played a 3 chord simple song i set down to the multi chord,look up and there as Buddy Emmons and Jimmmy Day.I turned loose of thast thing like it was a rattle snake.Got back on fiddle with the other fiddle player and Buddy and Jimmy took turns sitting in on the multi chord.Later Bob White the steel player for Hank Thompson came in.He played it also.Years later in Vegas i was playing at the Golden Nugget in Vegas,the curtin opened and i was looking into the eyes of Curley Chalker.So don't worry Jon.When they play a lick you like and don't know how to do it,ask them.Good luck.Tracy P.S.As Reece Anderson always said,if you can play a song clean and no mistakes you are good as the rest.Thats how i remember it.Reese may need to correct me on that.

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 30 Sep 2004 9:12 pm

I started playing pro on fiddle back

How do you play a fiddle back?

Sorry, j/k!

I don't remember ever playing in a band with another steelplayer, but I had some experiences similar to Tracy's.

Once when I was still a teenager I looked into the audience and there was a guy who I swear could have been Chet Atkins' double and I nearly had an anxiety attack. Found out it wasn't him, but he sure looked like him and spooked me good for a while, Chet was my idol.

About 1984 or maybe '85 I was playing in the MGM Cub lounge with a pop band and we were playing "Beat it", and a couple seconds before the guitar solo that Eddie Van Halen really tore up on the record, a couple guys walked right past the stage, one of them suddenly stopped and turned around, he looked exactly like Eddie Van Halen, so much I thought it was him (and well may have been), he looked straight at me with a big, amused smile as I stumbled through my version of EVH's solo and felt like a fool...I was never sure it was him but...

By then Chalker had moved back out to Vegas, I'd met him in Nashville in '79, he came out where I was playing in Vegas (actually this was before the previous incident) and I had to play my steel with him listening, turned out his band was following us every night, 6 nights a week, he'd come in and the last few songs of the last set every night was with Chalker out there listening, that wasn't easy. A few years after that I was playing regular 6-string lead guitar with him on steel around the area, and I always felt inadequate. One night he told me, "you play fine, so just stop making excuses, stop worrying about it, shuttup and play your guitar!" Best advice anyone ever gave me.
[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 30 September 2004 at 10:34 PM.]

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 1 Oct 2004 12:33 am

Jim.Do you remember in the early 60's the name of the club that Curley Played in Vegas? As i remember his brother played at the same club also.A good friend of mine Bob Hines was a great steel player also and used to jam there at times.Wonder if you knew Bob Hines and know what ever became of him?Last i heard many years ago he was working at a music store in Denver.He would not work the road.I still have a cassete tape made there with Curley,Bob and Thumbs Carlile jamming.I sent a copy to Bobbe Seymour and of course the quality isn't good enough to put on a cd.I am going back 40 years or more.LOL.Last time i saw Thumbs he was working a sit down job in Billings,Mt. with another great steel player by the name of Harley Brendel.Harley woulden't work the road either.Sorry i got so long winded but do wonder if you remember any of these guys?Tracy
Edited or spelling.I took spelling lessons from Bobbe Seymour.

[This message was edited by Tracy Sheehan on 01 October 2004 at 03:36 AM.]

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 1 Oct 2004 12:39 am

Sorry Tracy, I didn't get into Vegas until '75, then just in and out until moving there in Jan. '81. Bet someone else on the Forum here does know, though.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 01 October 2004 at 01:41 AM.]

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 1 Oct 2004 2:28 am

Thanks Jim.I am
going back many years i know.lol.Tracy

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 1 Oct 2004 2:41 am

In Jerry Byrd's book, he described the time Jerry Garcia came to see him. I hope he wasn't too intimidated?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 1 Oct 2004 3:19 am

The more I think about it, Jon, the more I believe you know what you have to do...

Dave Grothusen · Post by **Dave Grothusen** » 1 Oct 2004 4:04 am

I was on stage in Colorado Springs one time many years ago. There were to steels set up, I was behind one and Herbby Wallace was behind the other. The singer called out a song and Herbby told me to kick it off. I will add that the band was strange to both of us. Not wanting to make a fool out of myself I told Herb to take it. He said he was not familiar with the way the band did the song and for me to go ahead. I was in the same boat as he was and added that he made a living doing this stuff what was the big deal He said not knowing how they did it he was not going to make a fool out of himself so we let the guitar player kick the song. We both took a ride in the middle and had a great time with it.
You will be OK if this guy is a REAL musician. He will respect you for what you can do.

Jim Hinton · Post by **Jim Hinton** » 1 Oct 2004 4:53 am

A couple of years ago Jeff Newman asked me to help him set-up a steel guitar school here in Phoenix, which I was delighted to do.

My reward for doing so, was he brought about 15 students with him to watch my band.

He also brought another great guitar player named Jerry Hogan.

Then things got to be really fun ... Jeff and Jerry came up and played with the band. Since we all play bass, guitar and steel, we all took turns playing all three instruments!

I had so much fun I almost cried! The band really enjoyed themselves too, and I have some great pictures to remember it by.

I suppose I could have been completely intimidated, but I realize that the guys that are great had to get there the same we the "rest of us" do.

We all have the same feelings and want to do well, as well as making the "other guy" sound great too.

Have a ball and let it work for you![This message was edited by Jim Hinton on 01 October 2004 at 08:03 AM.]

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 1 Oct 2004 5:15 am

Ricky Davis should probably post this, but I know he's played a few gigs with Rick Schmidt on bass... and he's no slouch on steel, if you've heard his "Goodbye Porkpie Hat".

'Course Ricky D. can hold his own.

Have fun!

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 1 Oct 2004 8:22 am

Thanks for the nice words Jerry. We did have fun didn't we?
Back to the topic: One of the most fun gigs I ever played was with Matt Starner, a fine,fine player. We decided before the gig to just play melodies. He would take the top part, strings 3 through 5 and the chromatic strings and I would play 6,8,10. You guys try it. It's the fattest steel guitar sound I've ever heard. We received a lot of compliments from the crowd about the two keyboard players.

As an after thought, Al Bruno told me this joke one night. What is the definition of dissonance?
Two Steel players playing in unison.

Doug Jones · Post by **Doug Jones** » 1 Oct 2004 9:05 am

A year ago last May the classic country group I was with had another 5 night run at the big club in Portland, OR. Our guitarist had quit and I suggested we get none other than Eric West to play that run. It was bass, drums, lady singer and 2 steels. We had a blast. An Emmons and a Sho-Nuff on one stage. We worked off one another with constant enthusiasm and smiles. All the other area steelers came in to hear us and had a blast as well. It was'nt a competetion, but rather an inspiration to work off and perform along with one another. ONe would pad while the other filled or soloed, etc. Long story short, Eric and I still talk about that Sunday-Thurs run with fond sentiment.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 1 Oct 2004 9:06 am

Good one, Jim - I should know, too! We once did a BBC Radio broadcast with three steels playing Christmas carols (Gerry Hogan, BJ Cole and myself) - that WAS a challenge!

RR

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 1 Oct 2004 11:14 am

The stories are great! By all means keeps them coming! But let me just clarify that I will be the only steel on stage. The much better steeler will be playing guitar. No twin steels.

Rick McDuffie---you said <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> ....with Rick Schmidt on bass... and he's no slouch on steel, if you've heard his "Goodbye Porkpie Hat".

'Course Ricky D. can hold his own.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Two statements and you got both of them right, for sure.

Jim Marconi · Post by **Jim Marconi** » 1 Oct 2004 6:00 pm

Hi Jon....I am a six year player on steel and I am just a beginner although I played guitar 40 years..any way my band has had some great steel players and they love me and I don't quite understand why so I asked them why..and this is what they said...Jim you know when to hold em and when to fold them..I am just real considerate of the singer and others in the band and I play enough to leave the edge for them to where they can't wait till I come back in again and it really works for me...Good Luck
Kind Regards
Jim

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 2 Oct 2004 9:19 am

Yes I've been really fortunate to get to play gigs with a few other steelers! Usually I've been on guitar or bass, but there were a couple twin steel things too.

Besides my pal Ricky Davis, there was Gerry Hogan, Johan Jansen, Buddy Merrill, John McClung, Emmett Roch, Kevin Ryan, Junior Brown, Derek Duplessie, Al Perkins, Jim Bob Sedgwick, Dave Knight, Whitney Eisenwinter, Ronnie Young, and Rick Shea! Sorry if I left anybody out.

Mike Bowles · Post by **Mike Bowles** » 3 Oct 2004 1:14 pm

You will find that the better musicians you play with the better you play good musicians will help each other players out maybe he thinks you are a lot better than him

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 3 Oct 2004 1:48 pm

Jim Cohen said:

"Aw, c'mon Winnie, I thought we were having fun!"

My! My! Is that a guilty conscience speaking?
Wasn't you, Jim, who was giving me daggers! Playing with you was FUN!!

JW

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 3 Oct 2004 2:10 pm

Gary Goodman · Post by **Gary Goodman** » 5 Oct 2004 7:22 pm

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of having both Jim Bob Sedgwick & Dave Knight coming to the American Legion Where I work on Sundays playing for a jam session. It was the first time I ever met Jim Bob and that was a true pleasure. They both played on my LDG and I heard notes that I did not know were on my Sho-Bud. I played with both Jim Bob & Dave sitting at a table right in front of me. They both can play circles around me. But I can still play in front of them or along side of them. It was a great day and made even better by meeting Jim Bob Sedgwick, a true Gentleman.

randy · Post by **randy** » 7 Oct 2004 6:34 am

I played in a house band with another steeler for about a year one time. We both sang so it allowed us to get up, pick up the 6-stringer and let the other guy knock himself out. I really enjoyed it.

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 7 Oct 2004 9:43 am

Well I am playing a gig (for about 3000 people) tomorrow afternoon and the bass player also plays steel.

Now to top it off, I am playing the Bristol, VA Steel show this weekend and Russ Hicks will be on 6 string guitar. Neat huh?

Bill