The Steel Guitar Forum

I just stumbled on this. Wow! This is some hot steel playing from 1931! I am totally amazed by this!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxEow07U5QA
From what I can find on this recording it is King Bennie Nawahi. I just checked out his other stuff and I think I have a new hero! This one is interesting cause it is more of a solo style. Sounds like a 6th tuning possibly?? Enjoy!!

King Bennie was the bomb!

Tim Toberer wrote:I just stumbled on this. Wow! This is some hot steel playing from 1931! I am totally amazed by this!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxEow07U5QA
From what I can find on this recording it is King Bennie Nawahi. I just checked out his other stuff and I think I have a new hero! This one is interesting cause it is more of a solo style. Sounds like a 6th tuning possibly?? Enjoy!!

Check out Kelly Joe Phelps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8F0raymy4I
Similar style. My favourite album was "Shine Eyed Mister Zen"

He did a tutorial video for Homespun Tapes that teaches how to play that alternating finger style/slide sound.

Other players like Ben Harper as well. His first 3 albums have songs.

I agree King B has a unique approach and sound. Not a fan of his vocal timing but that is subjective so doesn't matter but his playing is cool.

Kelly Joe Phelps is definitely worth a listen. I think you may enjoy it.

Others that also emulated that technique were John Butler Trio and Xavier Rudd.

So check them out as well. Tunings a plenty are used the main stay is Open D and Open C but many other solo string style tuning a plenty to discover that they use.

Check out Kelly Joe Phelps

I certainly will!

I agree King B has a unique approach and sound. Not a fan of his vocal timing but that is subjective so doesn't matter but his playing is cool.

The singer on this is Bernard "Slim" Smith. Just a cheesy country tune. I have a soft spot for old timey country. It has a weirdness that is indescribable. Pretty amazing how King Bennie turns it into a swinging masterpiece!

Old topic on his tunings [FYI]

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... sc&start=0

Old topic on his tunings [FYI]

I am late to the party as usual. Better late than never!! Funny what you can find down the rabbit hole of the forum. That is quite a spirited debate between some very capable people! It seems like they came to a consensus of sorts that it is not a 6th tuning. What I hear in Breadline Blues is a usage of the 6th that at the time must have been very unique. I haven't sat down and tried to play any of it. When I first heard it in a mix of old country tunes, it jumped out at me right away. Considering how Hawaiian music was eventually incorporated into country, and transformed, this seems like a pretty significant recording. So much of the sound was right there in King Bennies playing.

Sometimes I am loathe to look at old threads to see how wrong I may have been about something.
But I do really like Guy and miss seeing him around here.

Sometimes I am loathe to look at old threads to see how wrong I may have been about something.

That thread seems pretty epic to me. It also shows how difficult it can be to figure out exactly what these people were doing. I have had similar experiences trying to figure out Snoozer Quinn guitar parts. There are times where he seems to be defying the laws of physics! You will hear him playing bass parts that are in the the 1st position, while he is playing a melody that can only be played over the 12 fret. Sometimes you have an ahhah moment and other times the mystery stands. That is all part of the fun! I wish there was more of this thing going on. There is so much to learn from these old giants. In the case of Bennie, you guys seem to have gotten as close as humanly possible to figuring it out.