The Steel Guitar Forum

...but certainly not trivial. Famous trumpet player Al Hirt put out a song named Trumpet Pickin' several years ago. It was a steel guitar instrumental that he renamed and recorded as a trumpet piece.

Do you know the original name of the tune and the steel player who wrote and recorded it first as the steel guitar instrumental?

This is not the tune; but, pretty interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6bykzKIP2I

Skillet Lickin' by Lloyd Green.

It was Lloyd, yes, but the article I read said Green Strings, rather than Skillet Lickin'. I defer to the experts however. Maybe Lloyd will see this and send a message.

I haven't been able to find Hirts's recording to compare it with the Lloyd tune.

Lloyd wrote that he made up those 2 tunes on the spot because they were at a studio date and the artist wasn't able to make it. The musicians were already in place and the producer didn't want to waste the studio time.

The more fascinating thing is that when asked if he had some instrumentals to record to flesh out the session, he said yes, even though he didn't, and just made them up right then and there. What a mind and what a player.

Edit: Yes, he recorded both of Lloyd's tunes mentioned here. I found an eBay listing for the Al Hirt 45 which is labeled Trumpet Pickin' on the "Plug" A side and Skillet Lickin' on the B side.