Bobby (one "F") Koefer plays rhythm

Mary Johnson · Post by **Mary Johnson** » 18 Mar 2004 1:16 pm

Greetings all. Recently in the steel players forum topic "steel duos," Billy Wilson cited Bobby Koefer (with only one "f" is correct) and Tom Morrell doing "Stardust" as one of the best, and I totally agree. One of the little things that makes Bobby Koefer "America's Most Unusual Steel Guitar Player" is the fact that he is the ONLY steel guitar player that plays rhythm on steel, pedal or no pedal. I once asked him about this talent and it was "Stardust" with the Time Warp Top Hands that he cited as a good example. Just thought I'd share that with ya'll, you might want to listen to it again. Adios Compadres!

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John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 18 Mar 2004 1:44 pm

All hail Bobby! He is a fantastic musician, and like Joaquin Murphy, always full of surprises musically. One of the all time greats, no doubt.

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 18 Mar 2004 1:49 pm

Wouldn't it be great to have him elected to the HOF?

Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 18 Mar 2004 2:20 pm

There is absolutely nothing conventional about Bobby Koefer. Not the way he holds the bar, not his tunings, not the way he looks you right in the eye while he plays, not the way he wraps his right leg around the leg of the steel, not the way he entertains while singing. Then he'll tell you he's really an entertainer(true) and not much of a steel player(not true) My collector friend Steve Hathaway has a Bob Wills film with a six piece version of the Playboys including Koefer which is stellar in every way and has the left handed fiddling of Joe Holley in it has well just to add to the non-conventional side of things. OK, I'll go back to my spider hole now. BW

Mary Johnson · Post by **Mary Johnson** » 18 Mar 2004 4:44 pm

and isnt that Cotton playing left handed guitar on the Snader Telescriptions too?

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 18 Mar 2004 4:51 pm

When I first saw that film I asked Steve if maybe the film was showing a reverse image of things. Nope!!! BW

Mary Johnson · Post by **Mary Johnson** » 18 Mar 2004 5:09 pm

The story I heard or read about Bobby Koefer burying his steel was that when he was in Alaska and the big earthquake and tidal wave hit in 1964, it took his steel and amp, and may have buried it.

He later said that "it rose again, on Easter." crazy........

Dana Duplan · Post by **Dana Duplan** » 18 Mar 2004 6:37 pm

...Not to mention the "unconventionality" of playing without fingerpicks. I've had the privalage of meeting and hearing Mr. Koefer on several occasions. In my opinion, he has the best stage presence of any steel player out there. He's my idol in that respect--I always feel so consumed with what I'm doing that it's hard to tap into the crowd--Bobby's a master at that! I especially like his finger pointing technique--I've borrowed that a few times!
D

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 18 Mar 2004 10:27 pm

Yup, that's Cotton Whittington on guitar in those Snaders. Let's see, there's a left handed fiddle player, a left handed guitar player playing guitar upside down, and Koefer with his not-so-conventional style of playing. Seems like Bob was up to a somekind of freak-show

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 19 Mar 2004 5:56 am

Snaders? Are these available somewhere?

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 19 Mar 2004 8:30 am

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 19 Mar 2004 11:30 am

"Sittin' On Top Of The World" is featured as a bonus track on the double DVD of American Roots Music. I don't know where the other cuts originate from, but I've had them on video for years now. You might want to ask forumite Mike Ihde.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 27 Oct 2004 11:09 am

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 27 Oct 2004 12:00 pm

b0b,

Thanks for renewing this old thread. I suppose word has gotten around by now that Bobby was, in fact, inducted into the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame this year. I was greatly honored that he asked me to accept the ISGHOF plaque for him. As I said at that time, if you think Bobby is great from listening to him, you should work with him a few months as I did.

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Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 27 Oct 2004 12:07 pm

By the way, speaking od Bobby playing rhythm on steel, he told me recently that Lou Childers was his first idol, and it was a long time before he learned that steel was not a rhythm instrument.

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Lonnie Portwood · Post by **Lonnie Portwood** » 28 Oct 2004 6:18 pm

Yep! Bobby is one of a kind, and one of the most congenial men I,ve known. When He plays rythm, it's not some cheesy excuse; it's appropriate, tasteful, and if you're any kind of player, He'll make you pick your butt off!! Go Bobby, and congrats on being inducted into the Hall Of Fame. You deserve it!!! Lonnie Portwood

Kyle Aaron · Post by **Kyle Aaron** » 28 Oct 2004 7:41 pm

"The story I heard or read about Bobby Koefer burying his steel was that when he was in Alaska and the big earthquake and tidal wave hit in 1964, it took his steel and amp, and may have buried it."

I had heard this too and thought it was funny. I asked Bobby about it once at a gig, and he said that it was just a tall tale that got started somehow. He said he quit playing for a while, but never burried the steel.

But it sure looks like it's been burried.

KA[This message was edited by Kyle Aaron on 28 October 2004 at 08:42 PM.]

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 28 Oct 2004 8:01 pm

he is the ONLY steel guitar player that plays rhythm on steel, pedal or no pedal

While this is a very true statement in terms of the 'standard' steel world, most of the Sacred Steel players play rhythm (in many of their churches there is just steel and drums). In particular, Chuck Campbell is a rhythm genius.

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c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 29 Oct 2004 3:19 am

I play bass on the bottom 4 strgs on the E9 neck; or I thought I did until I heard Stu Basore back up Jim Vest, Don Helms, and Tommy White on the "Legends" video I got from Scotty. The had no other accompaniment except on a few songs where they used trax but Stu let me know I had a lot of work to do. CC