Earnest Bovine on Southwest Portals CD

John Groover McDuffie · Post by **John Groover McDuffie** » 24 Jun 2013 7:03 pm

Earnest Bovine's playing on the new CD Southwest Portals, a collaboration with guitarist and composer Bruce Lofgren, is exquisite. It reminds me very much of Jerry Byrd on Steel Guitar Romantic World, and the CD as a whole sounds to me like a cross between that record and some lost Lee Ritenour new age record.

You won't find a ton of licks you can use on a Ray Price shuffle, but if you want to bask in some beautiful, refined, inspiring pedal steel this is the ticket! Earnest's chord voicings, touch, tone, and tuning are excellent, and he seems to be able to conjure up contrary motion from unisons anywhere on the neck!

I recommend it highly!

Tim Fleming · Post by **Tim Fleming** » 26 Jun 2013 10:05 am

Yup, it's some SWEET stuff. Get it here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/brucelofgren

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 26 Jun 2013 2:27 pm

Sounds great, less filling.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 27 Jun 2013 1:47 am

JGM, thanks for posting this. I have had this downloaded for a while. I think you nailed the description perfectly.

You won't find a ton of licks you can use on a Ray Price shuffle, but if you want to bask in some beautiful, refined, inspiring pedal steel this is the ticket! Earnest's chord voicings, touch, tone, and tuning are excellent, and he seems to be able to conjure up contrary motion from unisons anywhere on the neck!

.

I once heard a HOF steel player comment "Doug Livingston is the best musician I know". I guess he never heard Doug play trombone in in the country band at Viva Fresh!

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 28 Jun 2013 1:50 pm

Bill Cunningham wrote:I guess he never heard Doug play trombone in in the country band at Viva Fresh!

Yeah, too bad about the trombone. I tried it 2 or 3 times at the Mexican restaurant but everybody said it sounds better when I leave it in the case so that's where it is. With all these cheap Chinese brass & woodwinds available nowadays, I bought one of everything. My theory is that it is not necessary to practice any instrument except steel guitar.

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 1 Jul 2013 11:01 am

For some of you who may not know, Doug's also a very accomplished pianist and/or keyboardist. I remember watching an old TV show once when I lived in LA, maybe Midnight Special or something and Jose' Feliciano was on. Guess who was on keys? None other than ol' Earnest B/ Doug L...... A real musician among us........JH in Va.

Bobby Bowman · Post by **Bobby Bowman** » 1 Jul 2013 12:59 pm

Doug is an amazing gentleman and is among the top ranked musicians in the world.
When I grow up I want to be just like him.

BB

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 1 Jul 2013 2:16 pm

If you just stay in the basement and practice your scales while the other kids are out playing football and stealing cars, then you too can achieve your dreams of working in a Mexican restaurant when you grow up, maybe not every day, but at least on Tuesdays most of the time.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 1 Jul 2013 8:19 pm

Many moons ago, Doug came over to have one of his pedal guitars fixed. Keep in mind that in addition to his normal musical endeavors, he had played on something like 6000 sides. The first guitar he pulled out was a Sho-Bud that was such a beater, I thought we were going to toss it and then work on his "good" guitar. Nope, that was the guitar. The changer fingers, and the changer housing, were so worn that they twisted on the axle in their slots in the housing. This guitar was unplayable and that's what he was playing. It was a profound confirmation that there is life on other planets.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 3 Jul 2013 9:31 pm

It's not the arrow, it's the Indian.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 4 Jul 2013 3:02 am

Posted 4 Jul 2013 12:31 am
It's not the arrow, it's the Indian.

Or in this case, the Indianan.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 4 Jul 2013 8:13 am

chas smith wrote:Many moons ago... It was a profound confirmation that there is life on other planets.

These are indeed some celestial tidbits.

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 19 Jul 2013 4:29 pm

I'm so glad John started this thread, because you guys really have to hear (and buy) this CD. It takes the pedal steel in wonderful new places. Doug's playing is just so musical and his chordal work is perfect.

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 6 Aug 2013 4:44 pm

Ditto ditto ditto!! Just got a copy from Doug yesterday. A wonderful recording!

And nice to see Dan Sawyer on the Forum, nice guy and frighteningly talented, world class musician.

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 29 Aug 2013 1:57 pm

Well, right back at 'ya Peter! I come here because I love the steel guitar, NOT because I can play it worth a darn. I tried, i really did. But the instrument deserves years of study.