junior brown

Connie Mack · Post by **Connie Mack** » 5 Apr 2008 8:45 am

hi folks,
i had the great pleasure of not only seeing junior brown last night(standing but a few feet from him backstage) but opening up for him. what a phenomenal talent. he got a whole club full of basically non-country types completely mezmerized. every person in the joint was on their feet giving him a standing 'ovation at the end.
i don't see mention of him here on the forum ever(i probably missed them). he doesn't use pedals but man, i wish i could play half that good with them. i would need an extra hand. and his guitar playing....forget about it.
just wondering what you guys think.....c

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 5 Apr 2008 8:53 am

I've seen Junior about 4 or 5 times and he's always awesome!

Dennis Graves · Post by **Dennis Graves** » 5 Apr 2008 8:57 am

I saw him last summer. Left after a couple of songs. Too loud for me.

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 5 Apr 2008 8:58 am

He can play "pedals" too when he wants to; on his early albums he gets amazingly close to the "Little Darlin" era Lloyd Green sound (but it'd be hard to do on his "guit-steel"!). Speaking of Lloyd, Junior did a fantastic version of "Nashville Rebel" with Lloyd playing amazing steel; it's on a Waylon Jennings tribute album from 2003 called "Lonesome, Onry and Mean". Worth checking out, and it might be possible to get that track from itunes (the whole album's good but that track is the real standout IMHO).

He's an amazingly talented guy... I played with him a fair amount many years ago (him on guitar, me on steel).

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 5 Apr 2008 9:29 am

Connie,
If you want to hear Junior on pedals, click onto Tilley's site, scroll down till you hit Junior's: Alright, I'll Sign the Papers

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 5 Apr 2008 9:36 am

Bent , Junior Knight

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 5 Apr 2008 10:05 am

I just checked out itunes to see what they had as far as Junior's pedal-steel playing...

Two early albums where Junior plays his old Sho-bud quite a bit are both available there: "12 Shades of Brown" and "Guit With It". Two songs I remember as having good examples of his pedal-steel playing are "Broke Down South of Dallas" and "Too Many Nights in a Roadhouse". Really good stuff...

The track I mentioned with Lloyd Green, "Nashville Rebel", is also available there.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 5 Apr 2008 10:26 am

opps I guess I got the wrong junior. Sorry about that, Brown and Knight!

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 5 Apr 2008 10:29 am

FWIW I have seen Junior mentioned on the forum pretty regularly, though it's more likely to be in the "Steel Without Pedals" section...

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 5 Apr 2008 10:48 am

Junior is definitely an awesome player! I was readin' an article about him and he said he got the idea of the guit-steel one night while he was asleep. He had a dream and it came together , so he went to guitar maker Michael Stevens and the guit-steel was born. He's got one he nicknamed "Old Yeller" and one he nicknamed "Big Red". Junior says his favorite steels go back as far as Sho-Bud.

Brett

Greg Booth · Post by **Greg Booth** » 5 Apr 2008 11:09 am

I love Junior Brown. His "Peelin Taters" knocked me out so I tuned my 6 string dobro to a C6th variation and came up with this version...

Peelin Taters.mp3

What a funny song!

Randy Gilliam · Post by **Randy Gilliam** » 5 Apr 2008 11:31 am

I Also Saw Junior Last Year . He Is Amazing And a Real Class Guy. Randy

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 5 Apr 2008 1:58 pm

Greg, good job there boy!

Bernie Gonyea · Post by **Bernie Gonyea** » 5 Apr 2008 2:09 pm

Greg; By golly, you are doing some really nice stuff on that Dobro; you even sound a little like our buddy, Junior. He can do some fancy playing on that guit-fiddle, or what-ever they call it; but am inclined with the other person, whom mentioned Junior's tendency to play too loud and too long on several of his tunes. But we do agree that the guy is very talented..Bernie

Keith Junot · Post by **Keith Junot** » 5 Apr 2008 4:54 pm

Greg , nice playing , as always .... "Fiddlin" Keith Junot

Keith Junot · Post by **Keith Junot** » 5 Apr 2008 4:55 pm

Greg , nice playing , as always .... "Fiddlin" Keith Junot

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 6 Apr 2008 12:21 am

That's got to be a pedal steel he's playing on "Semi Crazy". The definitive trucking song, IMO. Superb picking, great sixties tone. Anyone who knows which model he's playing?

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 6 Apr 2008 12:37 pm

Junior Brown is a great musician and entertainer. I first saw him live, without knowing who he was or anything about him. I have taken people to see him who weren't country fans, and they were highly entertained. I've seen him in small clubs where he was a little too loud, but no louder than the rock bands who usually played there. I saw him in a medium size auditiorium and the volume was okay.

Some picky steelers might consider his lap C6 steeling fast and sloppy (and apparently too loud). But it is highly entertaining. His backup is only his wife on rhythm acoustic guitar and a drummer with only a snare. He's basically an amazing one-man show, doing almost all the vocals, guitar and steel, country, western swing, old rock, new rock, and blues. How many other steelers front a major act like that?

Having been introduced to him by his awesome live show, I've always been a little disappointed in his albums. He just isn't the same in the low key studio setting.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 6 Apr 2008 4:15 pm

Billy Knowles and I went to see Junior several years ago at a club in Raleigh. Robert Cray was the
headlinder. Junior was perturbed because Robert's
band had taken up the whole stage, leaving him
almost no room to work. At the end of his set, Junior scorched three blues tunes. About two-thirds of the crowd left after Junior's show.

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 6 Apr 2008 4:49 pm

I've seen Junior several times and usually up pretty close and always had a big grin. I know he gets kind of out on the edge, but I really get a kick out of his playing, the material and his whole show. I can appreciate a player who plays super clean, too, but sometimes it's cool to see someone who's not afraid to push it to limit.

Mike Poholsky · Post by **Mike Poholsky** » 6 Apr 2008 5:07 pm

Juniors version of "Sugarfoot Rag" with Hendrix licks thrown in for grins. Love it!

L. Blake Bowthorpe · Post by **L. Blake Bowthorpe** » 6 Apr 2008 6:10 pm

Junior will be in Salt Lake City on april 26, you can bet i'll be there on the front row!, i've seen him aboot a dozen time's in 10 yrs and i'm always in awe of his pickin, he was a bit jazzy-bluesy last trip, i definately prefer his traditional country stuff, In my opinion not only is he a great guitar player, he write's some pretty fine song's as well, and has an incredible voice also!!!!!.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 8 Apr 2008 4:26 pm

I got to open for Junior once too. What a thrill. At the time, Tanya Rae was doing a set of her own with Junior Knight on pedal steel.

Mr. Brown did a version of "Almost to Tulsa" on his guit-steel that blew my mind.

Lloyd Green appears on one of Junior's albums too. Can't remember the name, but it's not the Waylon Jennings cover.

Greg- that is a great version of "Taters"!!!

Junior Knight · Post by **Junior Knight** » 8 Apr 2008 4:53 pm

I worked in Junior's band for 7 or 8 months..his band was the opening act..with Tonya singing..we would do 15 mins..I would tear my rig down and Junior would just tear the house down!! It was great!!

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