The Steel Guitar Forum

Amazon.com lists the following Jerry Byrd albums:

Byrd of Paradise
Jerry Byrd by Request
Steel Guitar Hawaiian style
Polynesian Suite

I don't have any Jerry Byrd albums. (Seems wrong, don't it?) Which of these would you recommend?

All of Byrd's classic albums (of the 1950's)are out of print or unavailable on CD. Most are available on tape from Tom Bradshaw (see b0b.com's link page) or in the original LP form on E-Bay, from time to time. Of the available CDS, "Steel Guitar Hawaiian style" is the best followed by "By Request". The sound mix on "By Request" is poor, however.
"Byrd of Paradise" features some great playing but is diminished by an easy listening "ooh ahhh" vocal chorus on all the cuts. I think "Polynesian Suite" is the worst recording Byrd's ever done - pure kitsch - but not good kitsch.

Old LPs of his that have the classic fabulous Byrd tone include "Steel Guitar Favorites", "On the Shores of Waikiki" and many more.

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 06 April 2000 at 08:36 AM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks alot, Andy! I'll have to try to get ahold of some of those classic recordings.

Don't forget "Admirable Byrd" which is worth having just to hear him play the classical waltz "Dance of the Goldenrod" -MJ-

"Byrd of Paradise" is a magnificent album.If it only had "Adventures in Paradise" it would be worth it. "Memories of Maria" is great! Check out "Valley of the Roses". "Admiral Byrd" is great, check out "Blues Guarenteed". "Potpourri" is unbelievable! "Steel Guitar Favorites"(If I remember the title correctly!) is great; best lap steel version of "Steel Guitar Rag" and I love "Limehouse Blues". The album Jerry did with orchestra from Japan(@1967?) is to die for. Need I go on about the imperative to have everything he has ever done? Don't forget about the recent Tom Morrell CD featuring Jerry!

The Japanese Album is called "Steel Guitar Romatic World". Here's what our own Bobby Lee had to say about it:

"In the 1960's Jerry Byrd, an acknowledged master of the instrument, was approached with a project of difficult Japanese pop music. To accomplish the required degree of melodic expression, Byrd chose to use a scale-based, rather than chord-based, tuning. He called this 7-string tuning a "C Diatonic".

The Japanese album, later released in the USA by the Steel Guitar Record Club, was called Steel Guitar Romantic World. The music profoundly broke the Hawaiian steel guitar stereotype. It did not hint at any Hawaiian or "western" music flavor, because it did not use the characteristic major 6th and dominant 9th chords of those styles.

Jerry Byrd's C Diatonic Tuning


1 E
2 C
3 B
4 A
5 G
6 F
7 E


Within Jerry Byrd's C Diatonic tuning, the next melody or harmony note is usually within easy reach from the fret of the current note. This means that the placement of glisses in the melody can be determined by the arranger or performer, rather than by limitations imposed by the tuning of the instument. "

This album is only available on cassette to my knowledge, from Tom Bradshaw. Byrd's playing is magnificent but the tunes and arrangemnts themselves are trite IMHO.

There are several (most) of JBs albums available on CD through Cord International. There is a link to Cord from HSGA.

Jim

P.S. They are discounted too.
CDs-9.95
Tapes-5.00

IMHO, Jerry's "Hi-Fi Guitar" album should be near or at the top of the list, again only available from Tom Bradshaw's PSG Products.

This album has several cuts which are excellent pieces of work. One is La Cumparsita, two others are Slippery Elm and Dance of the Goldenrod. Also on the album are Steelin' the Blues, Memphis Blues and Remington Ride. The cover alone is worth the price - Jerry holding his 7 string Rick with a big smile.

I would have to agree with Bob Kagy. IMHO, "Hi Fi Guitar" is the single greatest redording Jerry ever did bar none. 99% of everything he ever played was genious but HI FI guitar just has no equal in my opinion, especially tunes like "La Golendrina" and "La Cumparsita". Just outstanding renditions of old spanish tunes.

Also agree with Andy Volk about several of the Hawaiian albums JB recorded. I personally feel Jerry let the producer run amok with those "voices" on the one he described.

In all due respect and deep admiration for b0b, I just do NOT care for "Romantic World". I realize it was a tremendously complicated undertaking. Even Jerry said it was the hardest he ever had to record. But I just don't care for the entire ablum. To my ears, every tune sounds pretty much the same. And the selections just don't say anything to me musically. But of course there are plenty of others which may indeed have a completely opposite viewpoint. I respect that.

God bless JB and all of you,

carl

P.S. Jerry Byrd's "Diatonic tuning" was developed by Jerry long before "Romantic World". He used it in the early 50's. And several tunes on "Hi Fi Guitar" he used it. It is one of the tunings on his D-8 that Shot Jackson made him, which he still plays a lot. The other tuning is of course C6 that he came up with. It is:

E
C
A
G
E
C#
C
A (Low, low A (boo-wah pedal on D-10's)) <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by C Dixon on 06 April 2000 at 01:17 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks to everyone! I've got some shopping/hunting to do.

There is a CD on the Bear Family lable #15728(Germany) that has some great Byrd stuff. The group is called THE COUNTRY ALL STARS, CD title"Jazz From The Hills". With Jethro Burns and Chet Atkins. The Byrd stuff was recorded in 52 and 53. There are 22 cuts total and 14 with Byrd.Great old jazz, I got it at Elderly www.elderly.com .It was a bit high $19.95 but worth every penny to me.

Also check out www.mele.com they have one or two more CD's than you listed and can here a song off the CD's.

Chris: I agree with Dave. "Jazz from the Hills" is one of the best, most underappreciated albums around. The other Byrd albums I'd recommend that haven't been mentioned here are "Byrd in Hawaii" and "Master of Touch and Tone." <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 06 April 2000 at 04:53 PM.]</p></FONT>

I've got 8 JB albums, and my favorite is "Satin Strings of Steel". All of the tunes have string (orchestra) backing, which may offend some purists, but I think it's beautifully done. JB's steel will send chills down your spine.

I also like "Hawaiian Beach Party".
Talk about subjective, huh? It's like asking someone what the "best color" is

dougb
www.dougbsteel.com

Live, in last few years anyway, I've never seen JB play any other steel than his Sho-Bud,
Mike

When I saw Jerry playing in Hawaii 2 years ago, he only played his double 8 Excel. Excel-lently I might add

There's one other almost unkown Jerry Byrd recording available on cassette only. It was advertised in the HSGA newsletter about 5 years ago. It appeared to be a self-distrbuted recording (circa 1995) by a Japanese singer and her husband with Jerry on steel on every track. I remember that the liner listed which tuning was used for each tune (mostly diatonic tuning). Marjorie Scott at the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association could probably direct anyone interested as to where to buy this if it's still available.

Hi Chris,

I have been a Jerry Byrd fan for 25 years. I own several Jerry Byrd albums and there are several that sound great. I dig the Japenese songs he played on the "Romantic Steel Guitar World." Everythings Japanese on this tape, except Byrd and he sounds like Byrd blending Hawaiian with the Japanese melodies. It is fairly heavily ochestrated but I dig it.

Something else about the Japanese and Hawaiian music. The Japanese are big fans of the Hawaiian music. I worked with Shoji Tabuchi for a year and half and also played steel quite a bit with Mike Ito both of Branson Fame. Both very talented Japanese artists and they dug Byrd and Hawaiian music. Mike Ito sang Hawaiian songs for four years in a professional Japanese band before winding up in USA and at Branson, MO. I used to really dig playing behind his vocals because he could yodel, sing like Ray Price and also sing Hawaiian songs in the Hawaiian language.

God Bless,
Terry Wood

Don't forget about Jerry on Hank Williams "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"; what a ride going from the major to the minor|!

Hi Non peddlers,

Jerry Byrd once told me that he played on something like 14 of Hank Sr. recordings.

One of my favorites his is steel playing on two Hawaaiian Albums he recorded with Marty Robbins. On one of these L.P.s. Marty recorded a few of Jerry's Hawaiian songs. There is also a T.V. video from Marty's 1960's Drifter series that he and Jerry do a seaside skit and play and sang.

I believe that the Marty Hawaiian L.P.s are still available through Bear Family Records of Germany.

God Bless,

Terry J. Wood

Terry, do you know the names of those albums with Marty Robbins?

Chris, the Marty Robbins albums are "Song of The Islands" and "Hawaii's Calling Me" - with Jerry doing the album notes for the latter. Both on Columbia. There was also a '83 cheapo reissue by CBS called "Song of The Islands" that combined some of the two albums (18 songs).Hey - if you want to go back to the Herzog Studio years I highly recommend you get a Cattle Records Lp(yes an
Lp!) titled "Red Kirk - The Voice of The Country". Jerry is on most of the cuts and is in top form.

The Marty Robbins records have a lot of songs co-written by Robbins and JB. My guess is that Marty wrote the words and Jerry wrote the music. Beautiful stuff - very rich sounding. Highly recommended!

I've enjoyed Jerry Byrd since I first heard
ET say Aw play it pretty Jerry Byrd. Then I saw him in person early 1950s as steel man
with George Morgan. Jerry's solo the night
I saw him was St. Louis Blues. Just great
I also agree with I'm So Lonesome I could Cry
Jerry with Hank. Marty Robbins BCD Bear Family Hawaii's Calling Me. Joe Vincent on
2 tracks, James Farmer on 12 tracks and Jerry
Byrd on 14 tracks, 28 tracks total. Sidemen
like Grady Martin, Billy Byrd, bob Moore.

I have an album by JB that I bought many years ago entitled "Jerry Byrd Country Steel Guitar Hits." Songs include:

Steel Guitar Rag
Panhandle Rag
La Paloma
Over The Waves
Harbor Lights
Georgia Steel Guitar
Texas Playboy Rag
South
Steelin' The Blues
Three String Swing

Chris,

Dave has the titles right about the Marty Robbins Hawaiian L.P.s and Bob is right about them having beautiful music.

If you like Hawaiian music, Marty Robbins and Jery Byrd, then I say get copies of the L.P.s You will not be disappointed.

By the way I like Marty and have always been a big fan of his vocals. He's one of the few that I rates so in my book. He was just barely old enough to run away and join the Navy during WWII and served in the South Pacific. Actually, according to one source I read he was probably just 17 when he joined the US Navy. Anyhow the story goes he came through the Hawaiian Islands at that time and fell in love with the music and thus eventually wound up recording the Hawaiian music.

These L.P.s are available through the Bear Family Records and CDs of Germany.

God Bless you,
Terry J. Wood