Calvin Cooke - Sacred Steel

John Lang · From: Las Vegas, Nevada

I had the pleasure yesterday of listening to an hour and a half set featuring Calvin Cooke at a Detroit Blues Society event. What an experience!

Calvin's approach to steel is probably the most unique and innovative playing technique I have heard yet. He has a standard rhythm section behind him; bass, drums, and guitar, with a female vocalist. His songs are an interwoven mix of gospel, blues, rock, with an Afro-Cuban rhythm undercurrent. Very intense, very musical, and inspiring.

I met Calvin after his set and asked him about his tuning. He very graciously allowed me to examine his steel hands-on, since he told me that his tuning came to him in a vision and he wasn't exactly sure of the technical description of it. He plays a single neck MSA, tuned to what seemed to be some type of diatonic tuning. No volume pedal, lots of effects in use, heavy on the delay.

If you ever have the chance to catch Calvin play, I would highly recommend you make the effort to do so. His style is truly amazing. Does anyone have any more information on his exact tuning?

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Try this:
http://www.steelguitar.com/resource/tunings/sacredsteelers/sssetups.html

Calvin varies the tuning somewhat depending on the instrument, but the key elements are the unison root strings and the flatted 7th on the second string.

Mark Eaton · Posted 30 Jun 2006 9:55 am

I just read the article in the current issue of Living Blues Magazine about Calvin. Very good.

It reminded me that I needed to order his new CD, called "Heaven," which I just did, from his website.

http://www.calvincooke.net/

------------------
Mark

Forum Index > Steel Players		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: