The Steel Guitar Forum

I was new to pedal steel and searching out players in the USA. Instead of a camera, I carried a cassette recorder. I was fortunate to be at a club in San Jose on Tuesday 25 January, 1977. So we're talking about a real working club band, the Jeff Young Group. I was knocked out by this amazing pedal steel guitarist who I was told was Jimmy Webb from Seattle.

The resultant C-90 of that night has remained an all time favourite (I'm Australian - hence the spelling). After years of being stowed away I pulled out that tape and wondered if Jimmy Webb was still around. I eventually tracked him down and found out he was on Facebook which said he lived in Des Moines WA and, with a bit of White Pages digging I found a Jim Webb in Des Moines (btw - there are lots of Jim Webbs). I rang that number and was so happy that it really was him. I managed to send him the audio which he was happy to hear. He'd forgotten about a lot of the material that he played with that band. Since then we've had many phone conversations and I've put a lot of information about Jim on the YouTube I made. He's a lovely humble man who deserves recognition for the masterful player that he is.

Tunes on Side A are:

00:00 A Whole Lotta Things To Sing About (Charley Pride)
03:38 Heart Healer (Mel Tillis)
06:50 Whispering Pines (Johnny Horton)
11:28 The End is Not in Sight (Amazing Rhythm Aces)
14:54 Your Momma Don't Dance (Loggins & Messina)
18:18 There Stands The Glass (Webb Pierce)
22:14 River Bottom Man (Original)
26:09 Johnny Be Good (Chuck Berry)
29:20 Stagger Lee (Lloyd Price)
33:02 Sensuous Woman (Don Gibson)
37:58 Moonlight Feels Right (Starbuck)
41:49 Just Enough (to keep me hanging on) (Vern Gosdin)

Anyway, here's side A from that recording:
https://youtu.be/E2MDrjQur_Q

Great story Graham . I had a similar experience with a Manassas show I taped off the tv in London 1972 . Of course I knew who all the players were but I carried that cassette everywhere and just about wore it out . I was pleased to find a copy of it online a few years back . Al Perkins was a huge reason I got into pedal steel .

I saw Jim playing an Emmon's I think at a "Dinner Show" in Des Moines or Federal Way, about the same place. I just saw him the one time, but he was very well thought of from what I remember and I thought he played great. I was just a kid starting to play in the early 70's, and not being around other steel players was always thrilled when I'd run across one, especially of Jim's calibre... Pretty sure he's still living up there.

I got to play along side Jimmy Webb at Wally Giffin's Tacoma Steel Jam around 1990. I was totally blown away by this playing, absolutely pro sounding all the way. Reminded me of the Nashville steel players. Thanks for the post and link!

Thanks for the comments. It’s wonderful to paint a bigger picture of Jim Webb. I’m hoping that someone out there has some video footage as I’m only aware of one YouTube that features him. If you do, but it’s not on YouTube, please contact me and I’d be happy to help get it published.

Hello Graham,

I have to echo what my friend, Duane said about Jim's extraordinary playing. I've seen him play in person at a couple of local jams here in the Portland, Oregon area and he's the real deal!

We're very fortunate in having a slew of fine players in the Great Northwest and I must say that Duane is also one of them!

Did he ever go by "Regular-Sized Jim Webb" to distinguish himself from the "Big" one?

Really solid playing. Thanks for sharing.

I heard Jim Webb play at the NWWSMS hall of fame induction in 2018 in Enumclaw, WA. Great player, humble, nice gentleman.

That was the year I was surprisingly inducted thanks to a nomination from my fiddler pal Ronnie Elkan.

My wife Candace and yours truly:

Hi John,

From my telephone conversations with Jim I came to the same conclusion.

Graham

I have been fortunate enough to know and play with Jimmy quite a bit. He is a phenomenal player and an absolute gentleman. Jimmy and Shotgun Red sure could put on a great show! Thank you for sharing this recording, I will wear it out.

Andy Vance wrote:I have been fortunate enough to know and play with Jimmy quite a bit. He is a phenomenal player and an absolute gentleman. Jimmy and Shotgun Red sure could put on a great show! Thank you for sharing this recording, I will wear it out.

Shotgun Red, now there's a name I haven't heard in awhile... I saw him, IF I remember right in the early 80's, and Butch Cornwell was playing with him.

Dale,
Yep, likely so, as Butch did play with Red for some time as well.

Andy Vance wrote:Dale,
Yep, likely so, as Butch did play with Red for some time as well.

Hey Andy... with all this Covid garbage I feel bad that we never hooked up while I was living over there ... We moved to Walla Walla first of the month.

Dangit Dale, I was hoping to see your MSA in person! Yea, I'm sorry we didn't either. So did you retire and move or just move?

Andy Vance wrote:Dangit Dale, I was hoping to see your MSA in person! Yea, I'm sorry we didn't either. So did you retire and move or just move?

Pretty much... I retired earlier than planned as the company I was at for 23 years moved over to the Coast and Central Oregon... and since Covid, my wife's been working from home so since both my parents live here and she was able to take her job with her, we bought a house in Walla Walla... All happened fairly fast, but nice to be near my folks for the time they have left... 88 and 91.

If you ever get over here, HOLLER