The Steel Guitar Forum

ok, I'm not talking the "Pioneer" big guns like the Big E, Moon, Lloyd, Hal...I figure that's a given; you get my drift...

A handful of my faves - by no means exhaustive - that come to mind on this fall Sunday afternoon...

Greg Leisz: on everything he plucks a string on!! (to wit...the song "Clifton Bridge" on Mark Olson's "The Salvation Blues" album)

Eric Heywood - unique tone, approach and phrasing, very musical...check him out on any number of Richard Buckner albums, amongst others.

John Noreen, esp. his playing on those 2 Delevantes albums "Postcards from Along the Way" and "Long About That Time" (on songs like "I Wish I were a Cowboy").

Fooch Fischetti (hope I got that spelling right!) on Neal Casal's "Fade Away Diamond Time" and the songs like "Maybe California" "Free to Go" and "Feel No Pain"

Last but not least, Steve Fishell: etched in my mind like it was yesterday seeing his setup when he was with Emmylou and she came through Edmonton many moons ago: a Zumsteel through a Webb amp - great stuff amigo

All those, both friends and family, musician and non-musician, who encouraged me to take the road less traveled.

Al Vescovo. Al only plays jazz, on a 14 string C6. He plays in a jazz band, (horns, flat keys, Ellington and Base etc, and no rock or country) in a local jazz club before a jazz audience, who accept the steel as a legitimate jazz instrument because Al is a legitimate jazz musician. As such, he is up there in the same league as Buddy Emmons, Doug Jernigan, and Reece Anderson.

Al plays every year a the SWSGA show in Phoenix where his set is always one of the highlights of the show.

And lucky me, I live close enough to the club where he plays to be able to go hear him whenever I want.

The late Billy Clark, who played steel with his dad's band, Casey Clark and the Lazy Ranch Boys in the Detroit area. I met Billy after the band opened for Porter & Dolly in 1971, and took lessons from him at Freeman Cowgar's studio in Lincoln Park, MI. Billy overcame his physical issues, was a gentleman and nothing short of awesome on the steel.

FRANK ARNETT YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Gotta agree with Bama.

Larry Bell, Danny Dunn, Frank Rogers, Al Marcus, Bob Wright, Danny Hullihen, Joe Wilson, Clayton Lyons, John Lang, Larry Labeck, all Michigan guys, there's more I'll remember in a minute...

Don West.



EJL

From San Diego are:
Clyde Hayes, Skip Thomas, GD Walker and on,on,on

Big Jim Murphy - I saw him on TV about 30 years ago with Johnny Paycheck and his playing was like a shot in the arm. At the time Paycheck had no lead instrument except steel, so he was all over every song, both E9 and C6. What an education. Saw him live in San Jose about two months later, met him, spoke with him and never looked back.

Tom Bradshaw - at about the same time, I discovered the whole world of steel guitar music and the players via Tom's catalog. Started ordering vinyls, tapes and instruction materials. Learned so much about how to play and who to listen to thanks to Tom.

Not so sure they're unsung because I'll sing their praises anytime, but just for starters I'll say; Mike McGee, Mike "Cookie" Jones, Mike Sweeney, Audie Shields, Russ Hicks, Randy Beavers, Joe Sapp, Mike Wilson, Jim Thompson, Pete Walthall, Bobby Bowman, Ray Walker, Joe Goldmark, Dave Zirbel, Bobby Lee Quasar, David Phillips, Shorty Smith and the list could go on and on.......

John McFee, he played some adventurous stuff with the band Clover, in the late seventies.
Joe Goldmark, I only know two records by him, they are very well produced, good choice of songs and a great player.
Steve Hinson, Skip Edwards, Hank DeVito and many more.

Ray Gantek. Russ Rickmann.

I can't think of anyone I wouldn't consider for a post such as this. Everyone I listen to gives me inspiration or I steal licks from.

One person that has helped me quite a bit in my early Pedal Steel days was Hank Corwin. He would come into Little Roy's store and whenever he was there I was always picking his brain. Hank attended the Julliard Conservatory of Music and was one of the few Steelers in Nashville the early 70's that could actually read music.

Larry Bell, Danny Dunn, Frank Rogers, Al Marcus, Bob Wright, Danny Hullihen, Joe Wilson, Clayton Lyons, John Lang, Larry Labeck, all Michigan guys, there's more I'll remember in a minute...

Whoa, hey, where's Rusty Rhoads?

I'd say these guys definitely influenced my style...

Lloyd Maines - Wilco AM ....etc ....etc
Dave Easley
John Neff - Drive By Truckers
Marty Rifkin - The Boxmasters
T.C. Furlong - The Rattlers
Chris Schlotzhuaer - The Derailers

kenny martin, rusty rhoads.

The great Bob Brocious in the Hudson Valley upstate New Yawk!

Greg Simmons wrote:
Last but not least, Steve Fishell: etched in my mind like it was yesterday seeing his setup when he was with Emmylou and she came through Edmonton many moons ago: a Zumsteel through a Webb amp - great stuff amigo

That's the one for me. Back when he was in the "Hot Band", I was in a band with his brother, Mike Fishell, and sister, Mary Fishell. I got to play a few times with Steve and even bought one of his old Dobro's(that I still have). Steve and his brother Mike, were a big influence on me and one of the reasons I chose music as a full time career.

Steve and he and his brother Mike, were a big influence on me and one of the reasons I chose music as a full time career.

Steve and who and his brother Mike?

Doug Livingston is mine.

I first heard him when he volunteered to sit in with our band in the '70s. He was in London recording with 'Fool's Gold' and I'd just started playing steel. He played our entire set-list like a veteran, and I remember thinking - "How can someone I've never heard of be so brilliant???"

Way to go, Earnest!

Two more players who deserve honourable mention here... I happened to wander into Gabe's when I was passing through Nashville in the early '90s (you can imagine how lost I was if I chanced on Gabe's!!!) and I had the pleasure of discovering Big Jim Murphy - stunning!

The other? San Antonio's Denny Mathis. What a player!

All three of these guys had me seriously considering quitting before I'd barely started playing PSG; I figured I might be happier as a mere spectator. All these years later still I wonder if that wouldn't have been a good idea...

The English have such refined, discerning taste!

Homer Franks
Wayne Capps
Bobby Boggs
Bill Ferguson
CW Capes

Each one of these legends has helped me more than anyone else. Each is a master and has contributed to my sound and style. Thanks!

bill hankey, jerry garcia.

That's a hard one for me because there's so many. In 1998, Stoney Stonecipher was the man who got me started on steel and influenced my sound and style-guys like Paul Franklin, Bruce Bouton, Teddy Carr, John Hughey, Mike Johnson, Randle Currie, Sonny Garrish, Gary Morse, and Tim Sergent have contributed to my sound and style in some way. Also some great steel builders have helped my sound and style too-David and Harry Jackson, who built my wonderful Jackson Steel Guitar. They build a great steel, which sounds like the great Sho-Bud sounds from the 1960s and I love that sound!

Brett