Alvino Rey on YouTube..............UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Ricky Littleton · Post by **Ricky Littleton** » 10 Nov 2007 9:08 pm

I have no words for this clip beyond WOW!!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wlJ2_uyxN2s

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 11 Nov 2007 12:27 am

Master thumb raking. This was when we had real talent.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 11 Nov 2007 12:48 am

"this was when we had real talent"

?????

what does that mean ? there is no more real talent ?

talent ended ?

Of course Alvino was a master at what he did, but there sure are plenty more that followed. And there will be more to follow even yet.

sorry, I couldn't help myself...

Paul Warnik · Post by **Paul Warnik** » 11 Nov 2007 3:42 am

It looks to me like Alvino is playing a Fender 1000
I always thought he was a Gibson player!
Anyway I got see Him play at Scotty's show for the last time before He passsed away-I believe he was playing a Sierra universal then
His masterful chord/melody playing sure impressed me!

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 11 Nov 2007 3:49 am

My first PSG was a Fender 1000 just like that one... sure couldn't play it like that... still couldn't... "Talent", eh?... where can I get some of that?

MUSICO · Post by **MUSICO** » 11 Nov 2007 7:18 am

If you wanted to hear something like that live, what names would you be looking for?

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 11 Nov 2007 8:38 am

I love Alvino Rey !! My Fender 1000 doesn't sound like that one !! Great clip !! Eddie "C" ( the old geeze )

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 11 Nov 2007 9:02 am

I saw him 2 or 3 times at Scotty's. The first time he had a 17 piece big band with him. It was thrilling to hear hem with them.

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 11 Nov 2007 9:03 am

I believe Alvino's tuning is a variation of the
E-13th tuning.??

Vital Stats:
Given Name:Alvin McBurney
Birth:July 11, 1908,Oakland, CA
Death:Feb. 24, 2004,Draper, UT
Physical Description: 6'2", 182 lbs.,Blue Eyes,
Chesnut Brown Hair.

Roger

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 12 Nov 2007 2:08 am

Just amazing . When I watched that my jaw dropped .

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 12 Nov 2007 1:26 pm

Who plays that style today?

For one that I know of, Forumite Jody Carver, he even uses a plastic comb to rake the springs.

Very exciting to watch, great showmanship!

Jody Carver at the 2005 PSGA Show in Norwalk CT.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 12 Nov 2007 1:44 pm

Tony Prior wrote:"this was when we had real talent"

?????

what does that mean ? there is no more real talent ?
...

I think what he means is the difference between someone who is actually playing and someone who has learned a few licks and is acting like he is playing.

Rey is a master of swing, a master of intricate chords, a master of the tone control---nobody does that better, a master of playing the melody, of working with a big band, of arranging tunes, of showmanship, of tone....with a little help from the tweed twin...man had talent. More than todays players.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 12 Nov 2007 2:56 pm

That was just wrong. Harmonic rakes, and the tone nob thing sounded closer to a human voice than anything I've ever heard.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 12 Nov 2007 3:34 pm

Does anyone know his copedent from that era? That was just fantastic playing!

Mark Ardito · Post by **Mark Ardito** » 12 Nov 2007 4:21 pm

That is really great playing. Thanks for posting that.

There used to be a clip up on YouTube of him playing St. Louis Blues, but I just went there and I saw the video has been taken down because of copyright.

Thanks for sharing this video. Good stuff!

Cheers!
Mark A.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Nov 2007 9:23 pm

Excellent! Alvino’s fantastic technique, his energy, chord chimes, arpeggios, and boo-wah tone control remind me of a few other great players... like Speedy West, Kayton Roberts, Jerry Byrd, and others. Alvino’s love of the steel guitar is evident in this performance. It’s a joy to watch.

David Cook · Post by **David Cook** » 13 Nov 2007 6:09 am

Thanks for the posting!!!

David Ziegler · Post by **David Ziegler** » 13 Nov 2007 9:55 am

So much for"steel guitar is a country instrument" huh? That was truly inspiring!

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 13 Nov 2007 2:22 pm

Ricky-I thought Alvino was great when I saw him play "Hindustan" in 1938. Of course, he inspired me to play that style. So I learned from then on to play with my D8 Vega and later with my Gibson Electra-Harp when he got his. So I used him as my mentor to play all his recordings, like "St.Louis Blues, "On the Alamo". "Rose Room"."Tiger Rag"."My Buddy", etc etc. I can"t believe that I sill can rememberto play all these songs at my age 86(Dec 10).
Just pure lucky , I guess. I got a lot of work playing those old songs. The tone control was used a lot , I remember playing "Mama Blues" with it in 1947 with a trio I played with .
I wish we could talk the builders to put the control back on their guitars where you can play and get to it with your little finger. That's the way we had it.

The Video looks like he is playing a Fender D10, with a quick change tone control in the right place to use. He used 2 tunings on his D10, one E6 and one E7, with added 9th. Even on his non pedal Gibson Console Grand he had 2 pedals hooked up on the outside of the right side.
He did have a sort of E13 on the one neck. Top down, E-C#-B-G#-F#-D-B-G#-E....then he would change the second string C# to a D and opened up new chordal Possibilities.
Other neck was E6, top down. E-C#-B-G#-E-C#-B-G#-E
I used these tuning for several years before I got my 6 pedal Electra-Harp. I used to copy him by jumping necks all the time during songs to get the chords I wanted. Te Pedal guitar, eliminated the need to jump necks anymore. But the D10 showmanship was a lot better to the audience, looked exciting.
I have heard that Reece, Buddy ,Curly Speedy all took a few ideas from Alvino. He was a musical Genius.....Thanks for showing the Youtube Video, Ricky...al..

:)

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Nov 2007 3:11 pm

Bill Hatcher wrote:
Tony Prior wrote:"this was when we had real talent"

?????

what does that mean ? there is no more real talent ?
...
I think what he means is the difference between someone who is actually playing and someone who has learned a few licks and is acting like he is playing.

My comment has nothing to do with Alvino, he is an incredible talent. My comment is only based on the words..

"this was when we had real talent"

What does that mean ?

I'll ask again, did talent end after that , it was NO LONGER a factor ? For anyone ?

even those we consider masters today ?

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 13 Nov 2007 3:50 pm

No,,there is still talent. Just not in my hands

Alan Miller · Post by **Alan Miller** » 14 Nov 2007 10:22 am

A first for me yet again, seeing this great player . would I be correct in saying Speedy west had a similar style , big slides and rakes ?
Also, back then steel players along with other musicians ( pianists / guitarists )loved to look directly into the camera. I noticed as late as the 60s Tom Brumley did it on some of the buck owens videos , doesnt seem to happen much these days.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 14 Nov 2007 11:15 am

Hey Tony,,Just to stir this up, I think the older guys really took the opportunity to showcase themselves in a more playful way than soloists do now. Less look what I can do and more trying to entertain the audience with something cool and unique. Something happened to solos where it became more about the showing off than entertaining I think. I dont think that is a universal truth, just what I have experienced in my limited years. I remember my dad and his friends playing, it was more about "this sounds cool", people would throw things out and everybody would laugh and have a real fun time. I never saw aggressive competition or arrogance the way I do in my contemporaries (obviously not talking about pros here) now.
Steve

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 14 Nov 2007 12:54 pm

I want to learn that voice thing, I wonder how hard it would be to install a tone nob like that on my g10. I dont think I want a wha wah ped in my line.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 15 Nov 2007 4:39 am

Steve, I hear ya but I was thinking more of the
STYLISTS who were not much further behind than Alvino, in there TIME window,some very note worthy names that we all brag about right here in this forum.

One name starts with a B, one with an L, one with a C one with a J..etc....

Seems like a conflict to separate the era of talent

Imagine where we would be today if the so called "single note" warriors never bothered to execute there styles...

I think it's more of comparing STYLES than it is related to talent.

two totally different and unrelated entities.

I submit that talent did not end after "BACK THEN" .

If we really want to make a rucus, lets consider which STYLE has lasted 5 decades... and which style every player on the planet is chasing...

just a thought

I like it all....

The Steel Guitar Forum

Alvino Rey on YouTube..............UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Alvino Rey on YouTube..............UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Who plays that style nowadays?

DOUBLE WOW - WOW !!!

Alvino Rey-The Father of modern Steel Guitar