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Topic: What were/are the greatest lap steel solos? |
Bob Markison
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 12:49 pm |
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| As a horn player who is trying to improve on lap steel, I have previously worked on the earth rattling unique extended solos of horn history on my horns. Most horn players would include Body and Soul (Coleman Hawkins, 10/39), KoKo based on the changes of Cherokee (Charlie Parker, 12/45), and Giant Steps (Coltrane , 5/59). The great new McGann/Volk Murphey transcription book has piqued my interest to solicit your ideas about great lap steel solos. Horn players are obsessed with trying to tell a story in a solo, and I invite your thoughts as I expand my collection of lap steel recordings. I'm particulary interested in specific recordings that have touched you for their special story telling capacity. Many thanks and best regards! - Bob |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 3:49 pm
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Jules Ah See's late 1950's recording of "Hula Blues". IMHO the definitive recording of this tune.
Jules phrases like a horn player on this cut and the band is behind him 100%.
Hula Blues
Do you like this stuff?
Then join us at HSGA Joliet Convention, October 14-16, 2004.
We jam like this all night long.
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 25 September 2004 at 04:53 PM.] |
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Roger Marshall
From:
Arroyo Grande, California, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 4:53 pm
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From a completly different genre of music. David Lindly's solo on "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne. Probably one of the most influental solos in so far as bringing lap steel to the attention of a whole new generation of players. Soul and tone for miles.
Roger |
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Bob Markison
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 4:59 pm
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| Rick, Gerald, Roger - thanks! These are just the kinds of things I'm looking for. Lindley's name came up just yesterday when I was looking at some cool Weissenborn-type guitars at the Berkely Music Exchange - he's an amazing musician. All suggestions are welcome. This forum never fails to inform in a most generous way. Thanks again! - Bob |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 5:14 pm
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"Santos Dream" by Greg Leisz is a beauty, as always his playing is very melodic and free of clichés.
It can be found on the "Legends Of The incredible Lap Steel Guitar" compilation album from HorseRock Records. Don't know if it has been released on any other albums (but there are 13 other good reason for buying the 'Legends' album...).
Steinar
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www.gregertsen.com
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 5:23 pm
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That is a really neat tune Rick. Played it about four times!!
Bill |
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Travis Bernhardt
From:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 6:16 pm
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David Lindley's solo on "Bon Temps Roule" on the blue album, and "Mercury Blues," either version; sorry for the vagueness, but any number of tracks by Sol Hoopii, Jim & Bob, and Benny Nawahi; Junior Brown, "Hung it Up" (tabbed by--ahem--yours truly and available in the Tablature section  ); more vagueness, but any number of Jerry Douglas solos or any parts of Buddy Emmons'/Buddy Charleton's/Speedy West's solos where they're not using pedals--which is probably quite a bit, really; anything by Debashish Battacharya--no apologies for vagueness there; Ben Harper, "Ground on Down," "Forgiven/Faded (live)"; lots more...
-Travis
P.S. Keep in mind that a lot of great steel players, all the way back to Sol Hoopii and co., got a lot of their ideas from horn players...[This message was edited by Travis Bernhardt on 25 September 2004 at 11:43 PM.] |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 7:05 pm
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| Sweet Georgia Brown by Joachim Murphy ! |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 7:22 pm
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Funny you should mention this, Bob, as John and I are working in this vein for the next book. Here are a few favorites off the top of my head:
For sheer spontaneous creativity and a certain breathtaking, racehorse-bolting-out-of-the-gate quality, nobody's yet beaten Joaquin in my book. Tex Williams on the air has many of my personal favorites.
BY all means pick up some Andy Iona and Dick McIntire on Cumquat. Other great Hawaiian stylists include David Keli'i who had a unique swinging bounce to his playing and Billy Hew Len. I'd also recommend Barney Isaacs acoustic CD with George Kuo ... very beautiful touch from Barney; Bob Brozman's duet CD with Cyril Pahinui - anything with Gabby Pahinui's great steel playing including Ry Cooder's "Chicken Skin Music" for two incredible cuts (see thread on Yellow Roses), Sons of Hawaii with David Feet Rogers, and Made In Hawaii, Hawaiian Steel Guitar - a great collection of modern players.
David Lindely on Brother John from "Win This Record" is a textbook in wonderful, melodic lap steel over a New Orleans groove. Look So Good from the same record was a clarion call to acoustic steelers.
Freddie Roulett's Spirt of Steel is the best CD showcase for his work - but even better is his work on the Vestapool video "World of slide Guitar."
Check out forumite Basil Henriques work with the 60's group, the Waikiki Islanders. Baz has great feel and timing.
Vance Terry's pedal steel playing on Brisbane Bop is a must have. It's closer to a non-pedal approach and tone than a modern pedal steel sound and has plenty of flat-out astonishing steel playing. The two Biily Jack Wills CDs featuring Vance's early non-pedal work are great too.
Jerry Byrd's playing on the albums Hi-Fi Guitar & Nani Hawaii for exquisite Rickenbacher tone and JB's unique phrasing
were never better than on these two albums IMHO.
Aubrey Ghent's solo album is fantastic and the Rope-A-Dope compliation CD "None But The Righteous" is THE Sacred Steel collection to have (notes written by my friend and forumite, Bob Stone).
Cindy Cashdollar's new CD "Slide Show" is a fine record with some heartfelt lap steel on "Locust Grove."
I'd 2nd the recommendation for Debashish. Trinity of Guitars, his latest, is the one I'd go for.
All Tom Morrell's records are great but I particularly like Pteradactyl Ptales Vol. 4, No Peddlers Allowed, and the excellent Shanachie compliation CD "Wolf Tracks."
Lastly, Harry Manx is doing some gorgeous, understated acoustic lap steel work.
There's a lot to discover out there. Enjoy![This message was edited by Andy Volk on 25 September 2004 at 08:31 PM.] |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 8:14 pm
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Another innovator who did so much with the bare minimum.
Bob Dunn...."Taking Off." |
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Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 8:40 pm
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Wait a minute… Andy, did you say you're writing a second book? Lap Steel Guitar vol. 2? Please give us the scoop.
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Dan Sawyer
Fender Deluxe 8® (stringmaster), Fender Deluxe 8 (trap), Gibson EH-150, Wayne Lap Steel |
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Travis Bernhardt
From:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 25 Sep 2004 10:56 pm
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Mmm, that's a good list, Andy. It reminds me that I still have to get some of that stuff. I totally agree that Joaquin's playing is right at the top. To me, his playing has a "just-in-time" sort of feel to it (the early stuff, I mean), like it's always on the verge of going out of control--and yet, it's always melodic and fluid.
I'll second the "Brother John" solo--that's a really good one. Great tone and feel, and just the right notes. And I love the "None but the Righteous" album, too.
This is a good idea for a thread.
-Travis |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 26 Sep 2004 4:03 am
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Dan, it's not a sequel to my Lap Steel Guitar book but another collection of transcriptions in collaboration with John McGann. John and I are now compiling some of our favorite lap steel solos in all genres for John to laboriously transcribe and me to blithely layout, design and write about.
The format will be similar to our recent book of Joaquin transcriptions.
Also ... even though nobody asked ...
The Vanduras - by forumite Gary Brandin. Excellent surf/cinematic steel playing.
Sol Hoopii: An Orange Grove in California, Fascinating Rhythm, Tomi Tomi & 12th Street Rag are considered classics.
For resophonic guitar, some of my faves are:
- Mike Auldridge, "Dobro", "Treasures Untold", and "Eight String Swing".
- Orville Johnson, "Freehand"
- Jerry Douglas, "Plant Early" (out of print)
- That Dobro sound Goin' Round (compilation)
Rob Icks, "slide City"
- Phil Ledbetter, "Philibuster"
- The Great Dobro Sessions (essential listening)[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 26 September 2004 at 05:17 AM.] |
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Jeff Watson
From:
Anza, CA. USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2004 8:26 am
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| David Lindley again....Jackson Browne's "These Days". As an aside the same album convinced me that I had to learn to play both lap & pedal steel. Sneaky Pete's weaving work on "Take It Easy" transforms the song that I couldn't stand to listen to in the Eagles version, into a masterpiece. Wore out the grooves learning my first songs on each instrument. |
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Bob Markison
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 26 Sep 2004 10:17 am
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| Thanks so much everyone! This is a great list, and I look forward to the next McGann/Volk collaboration. I picked up Tex on the Air '47 for the additional source material for the Joaquin book (also picked up Spadella). I'm dumbstruck by the way Joaquin (and other steel players) could improvise their hearts out within constricting arrangements. This is why many doubted whether Charlie Parker was even in the same room when Bird with Strings (rather stiff Jiggsy Carroll arrangements) were recorded. On the best days, Parker had Dizzy, whom he called the "other half of my heartbeat", Coltrane had perfect quartets and bounced ideas back and forth in 'real time" with Elvin Jones, Lester Young could romance Billie Holiday in the Basie band. Charlie Christian came to life with Benny Goodman and later with the boppers at Minton's. Why didn't the steel players find their way to more contemporary improvisers? There were exceptions, including Speedy West/Jimmy Bryant (just listened to Stratosphere Boogie this week), but I do sense some of the "loneliness of the long distance improviser" in the ground breaking steel improvisations heard so far. Anyway, you've given me plenty of listening and I'm most grateful to all of you. Stoked and looking forward. - Bob |
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Brandin
From:
Newport Beach CA. USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2004 10:26 am
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Thanks Andy!
Two of my favorites are: Memories of Maria,
by the great Jerry Byrd, and Midnight Sun,
by 'The Five Whispers' with a very young
Bobby Black on steel. Both recordings are from the early sixtys, and I still have my 45's. No "hot licks" just beautiful steel.
GB |
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Dwayne Martineau
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 27 Sep 2004 2:40 pm
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I agree-- it's hard to find anything as expressive and lyrical as great Hawaiian steel. But here are some memorable non-Hawaiian solos that come to mind...
> Speedy West -- "Flippin' The Lid"
The "story", as I hear it: pounding coffee after coffee and nervously red-lining a bouncing, ageing truck that may or not explode before you make it back to your baby... or away from her.
> Jimmy Roy -- "Hole in the Wall" on the Ray Condo & His Hardrock Goners CD "Come On". Great phrasing. Aggressive and strangely sexual. He plays for Big Sandy now.
> Leon McAuliffe -- "Home in San Antone" w/ Bob Will's Texas Playboys. Very horn-y riffs.
...and one pedal solo (sorry!):
> Eric Heywood -- "Creosote" (Son Volt: "Straightaways"). Tasteful, melodic. To me, this solo is the perfect example of playing *for* the song.
[This message was edited by Dwayne Martineau on 27 September 2004 at 03:42 PM.] |
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Bob Markison
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 28 Sep 2004 7:21 am
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| Thanks Brandin and Dwayne! I especially appreciate the descriptions above - just what I'm looking for. Yesterday, my wonderful wife of many years made a great comment. We were having the AM coffee amid wonderful steel music, and she said steel guitar equally embraces men and women with its versatility from drive to nuance. I'm really glad to be back to lap steel and growing the appropriate library of primary souces of inspiration. Thanks to all. - Bob |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 28 Sep 2004 7:27 am
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Bob,
Nice that your wife appreciates your musical choices.
My wife of many years paid me a compliment recently. She said "you're getting better on the steel guitar, your playing doesn't make me as seasick as it used to"
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
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Bob Markison
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 28 Sep 2004 1:17 pm
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| Gerald - to clarify - my wife was compimenting the masters on record. Her comment about "drive and nuance" referred respectively to one of the Murphey cuts, followed by one of the Bobby Ingano cuts. My re-entry lap playing appeals primarily to anything small and subhuman that lives a quiet life in a reasonably soundproofed garage. - Bob |
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Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
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Posted 29 Sep 2004 8:49 am
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Yep, all of the above, but also have a listen to David Lindley on "Numb As a Statue" off of Warren Zevon's final album "The Wind".
I love the spoken intro when Warren says " Let's do another bad one then, 'cus I like it when the blo-o-o-o-d drains from Dave's fa-a-ace"
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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
[This message was edited by Greg Simmons on 29 September 2004 at 09:51 AM.] |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 3 Oct 2004 1:58 pm
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Vocalist BOB EATON had four great tunes out on Decca. The steel player that was on that session is simply out of this world. Does the intro's, all back-up thro-out, SOLO in the middle, and the tag at the very end. The song is "Somebody's Been Steelin', My Sweet, Sweet Sugar."
I've never heard anything like it before or since. When you hear it, you'll understand what I'm referring to.[This message was edited by Ray Montee on 03 October 2004 at 02:59 PM.] |
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Jeff Au Hoy
From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 3 Oct 2004 4:00 pm
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