Gypsy Jazz, does anyone play it on steel

Wayne Franco · Post by **Wayne Franco** » 19 Nov 2010 10:17 am

I have a friend who I listened to a while back. Great guitar player (former national flat picking champion Roger Ferguson, Paul Anastasio on violin too!). Anyways,they played all "Django Reinhardt" type music. It was great, mostly very fast tempo's. This style music would be very challenging on steel especially from a tempo standpoint. I'm sure it can be done but I have never heard it played on pedal steel guitar. Does anyone out there play this style?

Twayn Williams · Post by **Twayn Williams** » 19 Nov 2010 10:54 am

I play gypsy jazz on lap steel tuned to B6. Anyone who plays western swing should be able to play gypsy jazz. It tends to be a lot of the same tunes, just a few more minor tunes in the gypsy repertoire.

I keep trying to get local Portlanders to come down to the Moon and Sixpence in the Hollywood district on Saturdays from 4-6pm for the weekly gypsy jazz jam

Bring a dobro!

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 19 Nov 2010 11:10 am

Wayne,
Last night's concert included many swAng tunes including some Djanjo tunes like Nuages and I'll See You In My Dreams. I won't suggest that my playin expertise would stimulate another accomplished steel players eyebrows, but I'll tell ya, beyond a reasonable doubt, I had too much fun! And everyone thought I sounded superb...HAAAA, I know better!
Yep, PIC'd below, Mama said, "no country playin hur!"

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Nov 2010 11:51 am

Gary, got audio? video maybe?

BTW, Stacy Phillips has some gypsy jazz dobro stuff on YouTube (linked at www.steelguitarjazz.com)

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 19 Nov 2010 12:08 pm

I "tackled" a Django song a while back called
Troubleland Bolero. It is done on a 6 string lap
steel C6th standard tuning.

It is not jazz but whatever...I had a learning
experience with this tune. I do the classic
guitar backup for this also and it was more of
a challenge for me than my Steel parts.

Link:
http://picosong.com/eez

Roy

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 19 Nov 2010 12:21 pm

Gary, got audio? video maybe?

well, maybe not, not yet

I can, however, tell ya that Saks 5th Ave runs a sale on good suits once in a while....

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 19 Nov 2010 1:31 pm

Well, it's not pedal steel; but, it's a steel guitar:

Click Here

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 19 Nov 2010 3:06 pm

I leaned Grissmon's EMD years ago as an instrumental that the lead player came up with. I knew of the song and came up with an e9 version. Boy I wished I could run to some pickers like that again! Don D

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 19 Nov 2010 10:08 pm

Oddly, I just played a gig tonight with Curtis Jones, who just tears up the Gypsy style. I did my best to hang!

Wayne Franco · Post by **Wayne Franco** » 20 Nov 2010 10:07 am

Sounds like Gypsy jazz is alive and well.

Twayn...When I come down to the Portland jam we'll talk maybe I can come see you do your thing. I would certainly enjoy it.

Gary Lee you certainly look like you're tearing it up as usual. Hey, it they say you are playing good I'm sure you are. I sure like what I hear you do when we OOVoo. I really like the looks of that band. uptown baby. Like Jim said I would like to hear some audio sometime.
You know those guys I'm talking about from your stint in the US Navy band up here in the NW. It was amazing to hear them rip up tunes like Tico Tico at warp speed all night long. I guess it all depends on your experience as to who you are listening to what the challange level would be. BTW Gary, Roger was playing a pre-war Gibson f-hole accustic guitar that fit right in with the era of the music.

Thanks for the examples guys. Lee, that was really nice dobro on that tune.

Hi Mark....sounds like you really had your work cut out for you for sure. Just doing a gig like that says alot about your talent!

Sincerly

Wayne

John Swain · Post by **John Swain** » 20 Nov 2010 12:06 pm

You should check out "Swing Minor" on Doug Jernigan Plays Jazz Standards.......with Brent Mason's acoustic comping it comes off very Jangoish!!JS

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 20 Nov 2010 4:13 pm

There's a big [and getting bigger] Django "club" based in Northampton.

It's a serious venture.

Some great Django affaciandos [not steel, tho] all have this 3 or 4 day "Django Fest" in the summer.

They can pick. Most have that Django guitar, too (Selmar?)

They are serious students of Django's style; just as most of us here, are serious students of the pedal steel.

What a coincidence!

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 20 Nov 2010 7:17 pm

I'm working on playing some on C6 pedals. But I've done quite a bit on C6 resonator. Lady Be Good, Tchavalo Swing, Dinah, Nuages, Swing 39 and others. Sounds terrific!!