The Steel Guitar Forum

While listening to one of my dad's all-time favorite songs the other day,(Rhapsody In Blue, by Oscar Levant), a wild thought occurred to me. I wonder how this song would sound on pedal steel? The more I pondered it, the more plausible it sounded to me. Does anyone know if this has ever been done? Who did it ? Is it available anywhere ?
I think it might be a real treat for us to hear a classic like this by someone with the expertise to do it.
Anybody brave enough to appempt it, or am I reaching out too far here ?
What are some of you other folks' ideas on this ? Maybe some of the old timers like Carl Dixon, Jody Carver and others would share their knowledge and ideas on the subject.
Waiting with baited ears !!!

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"Let's go STEEL something"
If it feels good, do it. If it feels COUNTRY, do it twice
jpp



<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John P.Phillips on 19 June 2002 at 06:55 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John P.Phillips on 19 June 2002 at 06:56 AM.]</p></FONT>

Oscar Levant? Wasn't it George Gershwin?

Yes, it was Gershwin. And, didn't Wally Murphy record it -- or at least play it at one time?

If he didn't he SHOULD HAVE.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

John, I share your thoughts about "Rhapsody In Blue" on steel guitar and have for a long time.
I'd like to hear this recorded with two steel guitars.

Rick

Bit of trivia:

In 1947, I was studying Hawaiian Guitar in Chicago, at Modern Guitar studios, downtown. The teacher was a Juliard School of Music graduate.

She formed an orchestra comprised of all "picked" instruments. She called it the "Chicago Plectrophonic Orchestra". There were around 35 pieces as best I recall.

Interestingly, the final score was "Rhapsody in Blue". We performed at the Chicago Opera House. I was one of 3 steel guitar players in the orechestra. Each of us played different parts.

As any concert musician quickly learns, you sit "out" more than you play in this type of invironment. This was my first experience doing this. And it was a real mind "warper" at first.

I read music very well at the time, so that was NO problem. But when I saw all those numbers in the bars of sheet music, I could NOT believe how LONG I had to sit and count bars before playing my cherished few notes.

Then, sit out again for x number of bars and repeat a few more notes, etc, etc.

But it taught me a lot. And I will always have nostalgia anytime I think about it. A concert musician (unless they are first violin, or a soloist) rarely have ANY latitude in what they play or HOW they play. They are TOLD both. And if this is not done, they are quickly looking for another place to play.

So be happy that we play mostly what we want and HOW we want. Unless of course you are a studio musician and then things may be different.

Incidently, the final compostion, "Rhapsody In Blue" was NOT well received by the critics. I have thought about this many times. I am not sure why. We put untold hours into it. And we thought it sounded great. But they didn't, and let us know in no uncertain terms. Is music "in the ears of the beholder"?

Oh well.

God bless you all,

carl

Yes, Rhapsody was written by Gershwin, but I believe the debut of the song, the "hit" recording, or both was performed by Gershwin's best friend, Oscar Levant.

Oscar was undoubtedly among the greatest wits and raconteurs of the 20th century, though a mediocre comic actor. But get him in a talk-type situation and he was devastatingly funny. Also a great writer of humor, a` la Thurber. He was one of the entertainment staples of my childhood.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Carl- thanks for those thoughts.

Rhapsody in Blue has been played on Steel Guitar, the whole pop version. I am sure there has been some players way back who have done it.

I played it on a 6 string lap steel, a double 8 non pedal, and finally on E6th pedal steel. Never recorded it though I might have an old home cassette around here somewhere. It is not professionally done, that's for sure!

It is a beautiful song, John, and I would like to hear Buddy, or Reece , Jim Cohen , Larry Bell, or some of the top players put this on a record. No licks , just beautiful Melody Music. How about it guys?....al

I believe "Rhapsody In Blue" was recorded by Bobby Black. Can someone confirm this?

Roger

Herb you are correct. Too bad Oscar's life style cut short a very talented human being.

carl

To John Phillips en re Rhapsody. This tune is on schedule for my next album with string ensemble (similar to my present CD: The Doctor of Steel). I'll have to overdub the left-hand piano line as I have with other piano solos (i.e., George Shearing), but it is a great tune and challenge as well. -- HJ

The "debut" of "Rhapsody in Blue" was first publicly performed in 1926 (I might be off by a year or two) by Paul Whiteman's Orchestra and was actually received by the audience quite enthusiastically.

Curley Chalker did a medley of "Rhapsody In Blue/I Got Rhythm" on Flying Fish album FF 035 "S'Wonderful - 4 Giants of Swing". In addition to Curley on steel, this album featured Joe Venuti on violin, Eldon Shamblin on guitar and Jethro Burns on mandolin. Other Gershwin compositions on the album included "S'Wonderful", "Summertime" and "Lady Be Good".

Right on guys as far as the history goes. My research tells me that it is a Gershwin tune, And the movie soundtrack was Paul Whiteman orch. with Oscar Levant on piano.
Oscar also recorded the song with the Gershwin orch. and a couple of others. The Chalker L P is one I haven't heard and would love to as "Curls" was and is my "STEEL" hero.
Dr. Hugh, I'm anxiously awaiting the release of your new CD. please keep us advised by way of the forum or whatever means you choose. I've always thought that this song would lend itself well to steel guitar.
Al, I'd love to have a copy of that tape if you ever locate it (quality doesn't matter)
Thanks for the replys guys !!

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"Let's go STEEL something"
If it feels good, do it. If it feels COUNTRY, do it twice
jpp



<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John P.Phillips on 20 June 2002 at 03:51 AM.]</p></FONT>

I too am planning to record the piece. I already have the sheet music. However it will not be on the next CD, (which is almost half finished,) but rather on the one after that.

I have some comments about Carl's post.

<SMALL> A concert musician (unless they are first violin, or a soloist) rarely have ANY latitude in what they play or HOW they play. They are TOLD both.</SMALL>

Classical music originally came from 16th Europe, where people in general had a lot less freedom than we do here in America. If your father was a blacksmith, you had no choice but to become one. Here where we have much more personal freedom, we have developed musics (jazz, blues, country, rock) where the musicians have a great deal of freedom in what they play.

I think the cultural and political freedom we enjoy is reflected in the way we play music. Similarly the lack of freedom found in classical music is a reflection of the more restrictive society in which it flourished.

<SMALL>Incidently, the final compostion, "Rhapsody In Blue" was NOT well received by the critics.</SMALL>

In some cases neither was my Firebird Suite CD. In classical music circles, there are a lot of people who frown on any kind of re-interpretation of the music. Their attitude is that the music is written in stone, and any deviation for the way it has been played previously is blasphemous. Even such highly respected artists as Leonard Bernstein have been trashed by the critics for daring to try something new and different. In my case, I've had 2 different college professors refuse to even listen to the CD because they "knew" without hearing it that it was all wrong.

A few facts:"Rapsody in Blue" was conceived by George Gershwin not as a song, but as a concerto for piano and orchestra. It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofe and first performed in public on 12/02/1924 at the Aeolian Hall New York by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, with the composer at the piano. Whiteman played it again in the 1930 film "King of Jazz" with Roy Bargy as the soloist,(still available incidentally) Now IMHO, while we can take sections of melody from this composition and play them on a steel, a listen to any recorded version of the complete work, (with particular reference to the piano part)will convince even a steel nut like me that it just ain't possible to play "Rhapsody in Blue" on our instrument.A concerto is defined as a composition for one or more solo instruments with Orchestra, so which bit do we play, the orchestra or the piano? Answers please.

The first version I was exposed to was Oscar
with the Andre Konstelonetz(?) orchastra. I'm glad mother replaced it on 33 as I demolished her 78 book which was 2 12 inch 78's Blue label.

Most known comody number was Triplets.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Interesting story, Carl, thanks.

One thing for sure, it would be alot easier to do that opening slide on the steel than it is on clarinet!

My favourite Rhapsody story is one Earl Hines tells on himself. He was the new young hotshot on the scene in New York, and his big feature show-off number was Rhapsody in Blue. After a club appearance,
he was feeling quite pleased with himself when a gentleman came up and complimented him on his version of Rhapsody before he left. As Hines watched him disappear into the night, the Maitre D asked Hines if he knew who the guy was. No, he didn't.
"That was George Gershwin..."

Hines said he went from ten feet to an inch tall in a flash.
-John

Oh, man, I never thought that I would see the name Oscar Levant here. Thank you Herb! He
was a real talent on the piano. A very funny and interesting person, many times acting like himself. Read some books about him,
seems to have had a lot of depression. But one of my all time favorites. As in American in Paris with Gene Kelly. Meanwhile back at the steel. Al