The Steel Guitar Forum

Now, you know I like to have fun and that's exactly what I'm doing, so sacrilege is not applicable here.


Download my mashup of these two classics in an unlikely pairing.

http://mikeneer.bandcamp.com/track/sleep-walking-naima

I loved that. Very nice.

I dug it, especially when you're coming out about 3:50. Dreamy chords.

Very cool.

A very interesting take on the tune, which due to its repetition kinda begs something of a variation.

I think a lot of folks probably don’t get what is going on with this arrangement, but that’s fine. If you have to explain it, then you’ve probably failed.

The Coltrane cycle e.g. Giant Steps, Countdown, is what triggered this. Simply a spontaneous substitution for the simple ii-7 V7. The Naima bridge came to me and to my ears fits perfectly despite the completely unrelated key.

Mike - While i'm not that kinda jazz guy, i am a tone guy. And you get great tone in spades. Very nicely done. Thanks for posting this.

Mike Neer wrote:I think a lot of folks probably don’t get what is going on with this arrangement, but that’s fine. If you have to explain it, then you’ve probably failed.

If it wasn't somewhat over my head, I wouldn't dig it as much.
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Overheard on 'The Simpsons:'

"Nobody likes jazz that much--even the guys who played it had to take drugs."

{I was just looking for a place to work that in.}

In my case you are talking to someone who has never heard Naima, which is probably unthinkable to a jazz guy like yourself. So it's an opportunity to check it out and listen to your piece for comparison. You are one of a handful of people pushing the steel into interesting territory and I always check out what you are doing and appreciate the education and thoughtful music.

If I had to guess, I would have thought you were playing around with Naima first, and then recognized Sleepwalk in there and the light bulb went on.

Scott Thomas wrote:In my case you are talking to someone who has never heard Naima, which is probably unthinkable to a jazz guy like yourself. So it's an opportunity to check it out and listen to your piece for comparison. You are one of a handful of people pushing the steel into interesting territory and I always check out what you are doing and appreciate the education and thoughtful music.

If I had to guess, I would have thought you were playing around with Naima first, and then recognized Sleepwalk in there and the light bulb went on.

Thank you, I appreciate that. My ultimate desire is to not play steel guitar classics, but truthfully, I have a million different ways that I want to experiment with these tunes. They are part of the vernacular and history of the instrument and are fun but they leave a lot to be desired in terms of artistic satisfaction. I have ideas for taking a tune like Steel Guitar Rag and making it an avant-garde piece. That’s the way I like to challenge myself so I can really get in touch with how I hear things.

Would I rather compose my own music? Definitely, and maybe in time that will be my focus. But for now, I like to do things on a whim. I don’t know what to expect in terms of reception and I guess it’s not something I should worry about.

Very cool! I loved it.

That's brilliant piece, Mike, and lots of fun to listen to. Happy New Year.

Wonderful Mike. Very inventive and beautifully done. Keep exploring, and keep 'em coming.