definitive recordings of the great steel players

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 4 May 2008 8:37 am

Cal & Steve, Thanks for the tip on Nancy Sinatra's C&W album: "Nancy Sinatra: County My Way." I just did a search and found it available from iTunes ($9.99) and Amazon.com ($7.91)In iTunes you can download "Oh Lonesome Me" for 99 cents.

Speaking of Wynn Stewart: some of Ralph Mooney's best work can be found on the out of print CD: "Wynn Stewart - California Country - The Best of the Challenge Masters"

Gary Meyer · Post by **Gary Meyer** » 8 May 2008 5:49 am

I have always been impressed with Bobby Black's playing on Commander Cody's Country Casanova album and on the Hot Licks Cold Steel Truckers albums as well.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 8 May 2008 3:24 pm

A readily available album that has some fine playing by Lloyd Green behind Chely Wright is

"the other side:Music From East Nashville"

2006 Red Beet Records

www.redbeetrecords.com

The tune "Wish Me Away", has a very cool outtro by Lloyd that is a full minute, or better long.
One of his finest efforts IMHO.

Nice job by Chely also.

Al Anderson · Post by **Al Anderson** » 8 May 2008 5:49 pm

I think that some of the best steel work i have
ever heard, Is on the johnny bush live album from around 1978, by Rick Price and the Bandeleros.
The intro three song medley is worth the price of
Cd alone. Some of the songs aren't the best but the
steel and fiddle tunes more than make up for it.I
play the cd dailey.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 11 May 2008 5:55 pm

I think another way of looking at "definitive" would
be a solo so compelling that it doesn't occur to you
to play the song any other way than quoting the
originator. Two examples would be Buddy on "Night
Life" and Tom Brumley on "Together Again".

Brian J. Doyle · Post by **Brian J. Doyle** » 13 May 2008 2:48 pm

Clyde, I think your comment is right on the money. I was using the word "definitive" more in the sense of defining a player's style, but your interpretation is very insightful. I think it is important for a player to be able to play "Together Again" like Tom Brumley if asked by a band leader. I had a teacher who told me that he once lost a gig because he wasn't familiar enough with Ralph Mooney's style. A bandleader asked him to play like Ralph Mooney and he couldn't, so the band leader hired someone else that could. If he knew a few of Mooney's licks and had a general familiarity with his style, he could have pulled it off. I guess what I am trying to do is find recordings that are like audio definitions of a player's style. I know this might be doing an injustice to these multifaceted players, but when a bandleader says play like so and so, you want to go to the right recording to study their style. It doesn't need to be your favorite recording, or even any good, just as long as it is a good representation of the player's style. Thanks for all the contributions so far, and keep 'em coming!