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Topic: Tom Morrell...Boot Heel Drag |
Brad Malone
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2016 2:08 pm |
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| I just heard and seen Tom Morrell play "Boot Heel Drag" on Utube..the solo he does is fantastic..what a great player he was..he was playing a T-10, non pedal Bigsby Steel Guitar..great sound and super playing. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
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Posted 21 Dec 2016 2:35 am Re: Tom Morrell...Boot Heel Drag
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| Brad Malone wrote: |
| I just heard and seen Tom Morrell play "Boot Heel Drag" on Utube..the solo he does is fantastic..what a great player he was..he was playing a T-10, non pedal Bigsby Steel Guitar..great sound and super playing. |
He played pretty much most of his awesome stuff on a single 10. E13 with a low E for Boot Heel Drag giving him a Root 7th chord or would sometimes retune it to G or other.
He is a legend to put it simply. His pedal point work is so smooth its ridiculous. 
Listen to his album Pterodactyl Tales. Its Awesome. I think its one of the best steel albums regardless. Right up there with Buddy Emmons and Doug Jernigan.
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
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rpetersen
From:
Iowa
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Posted 21 Dec 2016 6:09 am
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Watched him play for a couple of hours in St. Louis
Sitting next to Herby Wallace and we both agreed that he had to have some invisible pedals somewhere - - Unbelievable stuff!!!!!
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Ron Petersen |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 23 Dec 2016 8:30 am
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I totally agree about tommy...just the other day i was re-watching a dvd i have of the grand jam with herby wallace and hal ruggg...featured rich o,brien and leon chambers on guitar on bobby boatright and two other fiddlers....amazing musicians...and tommys breaks on his non pedal steel just amazed me....has to be one of the finest ever...saw him many times at tsga show in dallas....rip tommy
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Jack Ritter
From:
Enid, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2016 9:15 am
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I do the Boot heel drag about every time we play. Good dance number.
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Zum D10 8x5,rev pre-amp, TC M300, Split 12, n-112, IZZY, Hilton vp, Geo L, BJS Hughey, Live Steel |
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Brad Malone
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2016 4:42 pm Tom Morrell..one of the best
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| Larry, I agree, his single string work is the best I ever heard...His conceptualization of improvisation is remarkable..remember it has to be in the mind before it can be played..Tom Morrell was one of the best on the planet..IMHO |
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Bill C. Buntin
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Posted 24 Dec 2016 8:01 am
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Steve Lamb told me one time about Tom Morrell, "Fastest Left Hand in the West" and absolute pure musical genius in my opinion. I Miss Tommy Morrell, Leon, Bobby. Can't believe they are all passed. True musical legends right there.
One of the most humbling experiences EVER for me as a musician was working a few jobs with Leon Chambers. Prince of a guy. Good friend too.
I might mention, Tommy Morrell and his T10 with no pedals is amazing beyond belief. Tommy was also an absolute fine pedal guitar player as well. 6 string, trombone who knows what else.
The last time I saw him out working, he was at the SPJST in Arlington Texas. He had a burger and fries sitting on the front neck of his T10 (no strings on it of course) and would nibble between solos and such. Crack me up. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 24 Dec 2016 8:38 am
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Bill, I have a bunch of dinosaur music. Tom Morrell plays the Bigsby T-10 on all of the albums I have, including the Smoke a Little of This where Boot Heel Drag is done.
In one of the liner notes Tom lists his equipment thusly:
1954 triple neck 10-string Bigsby. He only strings up his two bottom necks. The top neck serves as a wet bar, smoking den, sauna, dice table and bed... 
One year at the St Louis convention, Tom did the late night concert in one of the meeting rooms. Leon Rausch, Leon Chambers, Bobby Boatwright and the rest. By this time, he was playing the single neck CW...still sounding fabulous. Such a treat. One of the best ever.
I Can't Give You Anything But Love off of Pterodactyl Ptales just knocks me out every time I hear it. His seamless knitting of single string notes and chord runs is just unbelievable. |
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Randall Palmore
From:
Albany,TX USA 76430
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Posted 24 Dec 2016 9:28 am Morrell
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| I agree with all.. Tom was phenomenal! I thought he should have been a solo act on the Tonight Show.. He had total command of the instrument..just to mention: the first or maybe even the second, How the West was Swung record was recorded on his 59 Sho-Bud with no roller nuts and as mentioned then the 3 neck Bigsby and finally the Carson Wells S 10 guitar were used..I still have the rough cut of his first recording (How the West was Swung) on cassette that Tom mailed to me. The Sylin' record is my favorite. I miss that rascal! |
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Bill C. Buntin
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Posted 24 Dec 2016 1:01 pm
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I guess my favorite Time Warp Tophands recording is "Lupus" It is just classic Tommy. I don't have the whole collection of TWT recordings but they are some of the best music ever recorded in my opinion.
Wonder where that old T10 Bigsby is now? Should be in a hall of fame somewhere. |
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David Wright
From:
Pilot Point ,Tx USA.
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Posted 31 Dec 2016 3:03 am
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| I met Tom Jan, 1970.I went to work for MSA., and had moved to Texas to learn to play steel, at that time Tom was not in to swing music, I was so lucky to be around him , he was a true Master of steel guitar, and guitar...I do believe he was and still is the very best non`pedal player to ever play....I miss him....So glad he left us with all his great music |
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Dave Grothusen
From:
Scott City, Ks
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Posted 1 Jan 2017 5:02 am
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| Randall and David, I am with you. A true talent and I miss him too, also Leon Chambers. |
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Danny Letz
From:
Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540
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Posted 1 Jan 2017 5:06 pm
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| Tommy and Leon could sound like 5 or 6 instrument playing harmony. |
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Bill C. Buntin
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Posted 1 Jan 2017 5:18 pm
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| Another tidbit about Leon Chambers, He told me that his dexterity was compromised. I don't recall which hand. But...once when I worked a job with him, he told me the story. Seems like his fingers or whole hand had been injured maybe when he was working as a diesel mechanic I think? He obviously overcame whatever it was. One of the coolest players ever. I wonder about Johnny case? I saw him a few years ago But didn't get the chance to talk with him. Wonder where he is now? |
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