The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm a Gospel guy, but I was in the jazz band in high-school. I'm interested in jazz and was wondering about a song called "So What" by Miles Davis. Has anyone recorded it on steel guitar? I think jazz steel would be awesome.

https://youtu.be/zqNTltOGh5c

it's certainly been done though I can't think of anyone's rendition.

in the meantime, Freddie the Freeloader was one of Buddy Emmons' favorites
https://youtu.be/YzOxFme2mC0

Emmons cut his Steel Guitar Jazz album in NYC 1963 with some of the best working jazzmen of the day. jazz steel is awesome indeed

I play it on C6th.
My son picked it for his piano studies.
I play mostly the "theme" and the the "So What Exclamation"-chords and Bill Evans' backup. It's great to study playing CM over Dm ("Dorian") but there is much more to it. I find that piano lessons on the subject to be more resourceful to the steel guitar player than "standard" guitar.
I like Tune Up better because it throws around II, V, I's and is thus more "moved"...
But "So What" is interesting.

To get the exact (note-for-note) Quartal-Chords, Bill Evans used for the "exclamation" and for much of his backing up behind Miles Davis, you need the 6th string E-to-D-full tone drop lever (Franklin & Friends) change.

C6th lends itself to play the "Theme" with hammer-ons and if you have the "Doug Jernigan-Pedal" that lowers your 9th string full and raises stings 8, 7 & 6 half (yes, all on ONE pedal!) you can use that pedal to continue playing over the open nut with hammering away during the half tone up modulation. A modulation is all that is.. there is no real progression, BUT Bill Evans REALLY pushes the "envelope" with his understanding of chords, which almost suggests like there is a progression going on.
What many miss out totally on, is Miles Davis' gutsy playing and way to move up playing modulated up or down AHEAD of the change... which creates not only tensions and raising eyebrows, but also makes if sound like he's "pulling" the band.

It's fascinating, but if played without guts and proper phrasing, it can become dreadfully boring to the listeners.

I should record some videos on this when I come around to it.

... J-D.

I was producing some tracks/songs at Hilltop Studios, in Madison in the early 90's and had the opportunity to have three Wooten Brothers on the session, Regi, Victor & Joseph.
At the end of the session, I called for "So What" with the idea of adding my part later and maybe even have Bela Fleck play on the track.
That never happened because that's THE WOOTEN BROTHERS and there was no way I was going to come close to playing with that kind of musicianship, so the track languishes in the archives.
At that time Hilltop had the first professional digital recorder, the Sony DASH machine.
It sure sounded great, but very expensive to maintain.

Chris Templeton wrote:I was producing some tracks/songs at Hilltop Studios, in Madison in the early 90's and had the opportunity to have three Wooten Brothers on the session, Regi, Victor & Joseph.
At the end of the session, I called for "So What" with the idea of adding my part later and maybe even have Bela Fleck play on the track.
That never happened because that's THE WOOTEN BROTHERS and there was no way I was going to come close to playing with that kind of musicianship, so the track languishes in the archives.
At that time Hilltop had the first professional digital recorder, the Sony DASH machine.
It sure sounded great, but very expensive to maintain.

Sad it never got put out!
There are plenty of great backup tracks now on youtube, in all sorts of orchestrations... some only bass and drums.

... J-D.

The rhythm tracks/ -1 are such a great tool to work with and there are tons online.
When I was working out with my Tapper, I often played with blues rhythmn tacks. Most keys and tons of tempos.
Here's a 'tube search:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... thm+tracks