Big "E" question

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 16 Oct 2004 7:46 pm

What a great thread!
I originally bought Tennesee Firebird (as an LP) way back when-- because it had Sonny Osborne on banjo. Didn't know squat about steel at the time.
God knows what happened to the records, but I did get the re-issue CD a few years ago.
I remember someone (a dyed in the wool banjo-crazy) asking Sonny Osborne which banjo players he listened to. Sonny drew himself up (a sight to behold in itself!) and said, "There's only ONE banjo player I'm interested in listening to." And he pointed to himself. So the guy asks, "But who do you listen to to get ideas?" And Sonny replied, "Buddy Emmons."

JW

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 17 Oct 2004 1:28 am

I am curious about what happened between Hank Garland and Jimmy Bryant. Was it just a peeing contest??

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 17 Oct 2004 7:17 am

When I first met Hank Garland he was 25 years old, had been in Nashville approximately ten years, and Sugarfoot Rag was on every Nashville guitar players play list. He had a short fuse when it came to producers and while rehearsing a thirty minute syndicated Opry segment called the Prince Albert Show, I saw a taste of it. Hank had been noodling around on his guitar between tunes, checking his chops and giving us all a kick in the butt when the musical director said, “Damn it Hank, knock off that crap, or save it for the show.” Hank’s face slowly turn crimson and he pulled the plug out of his amp and said something to the effect that he didn’t have to take crap from a wino. After cooling off, he finished the rehearsal and I found a few years later that he was right about the musical director. The man was fired from a major record label for his drinking habits.

After 50 years the memories are hazy for me too and I’m sorry to say a lot of the musical moments I had in the way of sessions or jam sessions were taken for granted. When Hank had his car accident in the early sixties, I among a lot of musicians wished we had paid a little more attention.

The incident between Hank and Jimmy Bryant stemmed from Hank calling tunes that Jimmy wasn’t familiar during the previous jam session. Jimmy Day and I were walking out the door of the night club when we heard the two arguing in the parking lot. The last words we heard started with Jimmy saying, “I can play as deep as you if you’d play something we both know.” Hank retorted with, “Man, you don’t play deep, you merely scratch the surface.” With that, Jimmy swung a glancing blow off Hank’s shoulder and Jimmy Day and I ran over in time to separate them.

Jeff: I mentioned the intimidation out of respect for Danny and Lenny. I knew them well enough to be at ease on the bad stand no matter what they played and I’m sure they knew my limits from our previous experiences. If they went over my head I just passed and they never thought anything about it. In your case I wouldn’t be able to handle it as well. Nevertheless, I find the elitist attitude of the 40’s and 50’s jazz musicians dwindling and more of today’s players accepting you for what you play as a musician and not for the instrument you play. Violin, banjo, mandolin, and even the Dobro are examples of what is currently acceptable on jazz recordings, and I hear them on our local jazz station every day.

I admire you for the position you’re in and being able to draw from the tremendous musicianship in your area. Much of what you hear may be new ideas that will never get to tape, which is excellent fodder to feed from. I wish you the best.

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 17 Oct 2004 7:45 am

Thank you for your thoughts and encouragement on this matter. .. Jeff

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Jeff's Jazz

Farris Currie · Post by **Farris Currie** » 17 Oct 2004 8:05 am

just getting gooder and gooder,thanks BUDDY,PAUL, and ever one else, keep on with the great stuff!!!!!LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Randy Mason · Post by **Randy Mason** » 17 Oct 2004 12:13 pm

Leon Rhodes told me last night that in 1959 someone brought Jimmy Bryant to the opry to play a song, and he had a really long guitar cord and went out in to the audience and kinda showed off a little. Hank was playing with the opry band and didn't like Bryant doing that and told the opry manager "I don't want him on the opry anymore! Leon said they never had Jimmy back. Garland loved Leon's playing though.

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 17 Oct 2004 1:28 pm

Randy's story certainly sounds like something that could happen. I have known a few virtuoso jazz player who were nice enough guys until someone they considered to be a threat showed up- then it got testy. Just goes to show that the best of men are only men at best.

I expect Hank enjoyed being considered the best guitar player in Nashville (where did this leave Chet?).

Rick[This message was edited by Rick McDuffie on 17 October 2004 at 02:30 PM.]

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 17 Oct 2004 3:43 pm

where did this leave Chet?

I have seen Hank and Chet noodling around on guitars in one of the WSM studios in the late 40's where Hank would play a course that sounded like Chet, then Chet would come back with a very "Hank sounding" chorus. The were both great and, as far as I ever knew, they respected one another's playing. I will agree, however, that Hank had a temper.

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Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book.[This message was edited by Roy Ayres on 17 October 2004 at 04:44 PM.]

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 17 Oct 2004 6:32 pm

I only met Jimmy Bryant once (he was sitting in at the Den in Nashville when I was in the house band), and I'll just say that I can easily imagine anybody getting ticked off at the guy, hot tempered or not.

I played once with Danny Gatton (along with Bobby Black), and he was the greatest guy to play with. He made me feel welcome even when he was kicking my b*&^%. And of course Danny is a HUGE fan of the steel guitar, and with Buddy Emmons in particular. I got to know Lenny a little bit when I lived in Nashville (I caught his SUnday night gig every week I was in town). He was also incredibly gracious and welcoming. He was also a fan of the steel, and loved playing with Buddy (as he told me many times).

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www.tyack.com

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 17 Oct 2004 6:49 pm

I worked with Jimmy Bryant frequently when I lived in So. Cal., and my recollection of him was that he was among the grumpiest fellows I ever met, always having a low-grade anger about something or other. He also wondered why nobody really "liked" him, outside of his relatively small circle of friends like Scotty Turner, Audie Murphy, and some others. Speedy told me the same thing about JB. Too bad, because on those moments of frivolity he had, he was fun to party with. His wife Patty was a sweetheart as well.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 17 Oct 2004 9:11 pm

I saw Jimmy at "The Rhinestone Cowboy" club in Nashville in '77 during Fan Fair. However, hardly anybody was there.

Buddy, they said that they expected you to show up at any time for the jam session. They had a relatively new player filling in for you, some kid named Terry Crisp.

I think the rest of the band was John Gore (sax,) Johnny Gimble (fiddle,) Henry Strzlecki (bass) and, I think, Buddy Harmon (drums) were playing. Pig Robbins could have been there too, but I don't remember exactly. It has been 27 years...

Jimmy and Terry played their butt's off doing the tunes off of the "For The Last Time" LP. Most everything was real fast and incredible.

I did find out where everybody was though. I went down to the Den and you were standing at the bar having a brew listening to you, Paul, and Mike Smith. BTW: Everything was pretty fast and incredible there, too.

Sorry I got long winded.

I was on my first real tour and we went to Fan Fair. I was in shock most of the week.

Great thread, Paul! Thanks for starting it! And Buddy, thanks for jumping in, too! It's what this forum is all about!

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My best,
Ernie

www.buddyemmons.com

David Yannuzzi · Post by **David Yannuzzi** » 18 Oct 2004 9:32 am

I went to Berklee when Gary Burton was the Vice President. We had a mutual friend and I got to ask Gary about Tennesse Firebird. He said he had wanted the jazz players to play jazz and the country and bluegrass players to play what they Knew. He wanted a fusion of both styles other then the players trying to emulate a style they were not familar with. He said when Buddy Emmons showed up he was excited to play some jazz and was a little disappointed when Gary just wanted him to play a more traditional country style. He was happy that i was interested in the album and even burned me a copy when i told him i was having a hard time finding it.It's great to here Roy Haynes(drums) playing on Bluegrass

Billy Woo · Post by **Billy Woo** » 18 Oct 2004 10:12 am

Funny thing about tempers as Danny Gatton had one too but his playing rose above it all, I knew Danny from my time as a guitar player in D.C. from 1966 thru 1979 and we played on the same bill at Crazy Horse, Crossroads and Danny also fixed a few of my guitars..he loved messin with cars and guitars, one of his best friends was also a friend of mine, his name was Billy Windsor of a local band called "The Reasons Why"..just thought I'd share this for any Gatton lovers out there. Man could he play!

Bronco Billy
Zumsteel U-12

Jelle Biel · Post by **Jelle Biel** » 18 Oct 2004 10:42 am

My friend Gabe Penterman was also very disappointed when he did buy that Gary Burton LP &Buddy E on steel ,knowing what we(and he) like to hear when Buddy is on his best (Lp/CD's STEELJAZZ ála Gatton or Breau), but Gabe did throw it away

Gary just wanted him to play a more traditional country style.

THATS WHY,,,,,?

[This message was edited by Jelle Biel on 18 October 2004 at 11:51 AM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Oct 2004 11:10 am

He said he had wanted the jazz players to play jazz and the country and bluegrass players to play what they Knew

That's the kind of narrowminded attitude that will kill steel guitar. Burton should be glad that guitarists didn't have to overcome someone like him, or else they'd all be playing Renaissance lute music and jazz guitar would have never evolved.

David Yannuzzi · Post by **David Yannuzzi** » 18 Oct 2004 1:09 pm

Hey Jim,
Gary said he was friends w/Buddy and aware that he had a concept of Jazz and released a staight ahead album. But the Concept of his album was to have the jazz guys to play the reharmanized changes and the Nashville guys to play traditional changes all at the same time.It didn't seem he had anything against steel guitar or the musicianship of the players.

Walter Haynes · Post by **Walter Haynes** » 28 Dec 2004 7:56 pm

I played on a lot of sessions in the fifties with Hank playing guitar and Grady Martin playing rhythm guitar. Those two were great friends and Hank would always come up with something that would knock us all out. Hank and I became close friends and everytime I would go over to his house he was always working on his guitar or winding pickups for it. He really liked steel guitar and always was eagar to help with chords and licks he thought I might play. I wish I had the chops to execute all the stuff he showed me. I will surly miss you, rest in peace my friend--------

Walter Haynes

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 28 Dec 2004 10:24 pm

This is probably the best thread since I have been on the forum. Other than being a little "testy" Jimmy Bryant was a pretty good old boy. Maybe Fred Jack will post on this as He and Jimmy go way back. Hank Garland was a great guy and a fabulous guitar player. Hank's passing is a great loss for all of us. Jody.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 29 Dec 2004 6:06 am

I'm thinking this is the best reading of 2004 up here in SGF netland. I doubt we can come up with a better one in the next 2 days !

thanks

t

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 29 Dec 2004 7:01 am

While Gary Burton was in power at Berklee, no banjo or mandolin was allowed as a principal instrument. This really seemed odd to me, as you could have "turntable" as part of the cirriculum, but not these two stringed instruments...

There is a new president of the school, who is a fan of Alison Krauss and Nickle Creek. I am the first mandolin teacher there. Mike Idhe is still there and has always offered pedal steel as well as country guitar instruction (I began learning steel with him in the '70's when I was a student there). So there will be more "roots music" (I will be teaching a bluegrass guitar lab as well as a Django lab, Celtic ensemble, etc.) available...

I also play in a band (http://www.thewayfaringstrangers.com) that combines jazz and traditional American music. I hope to get good enough on the steel to play it in that band...

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

[This message was edited by John McGann on 29 December 2004 at 07:04 AM.][This message was edited by John McGann on 29 December 2004 at 09:08 AM.]

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 29 Dec 2004 7:38 am

When I was at Berklee ol' Gary really had it in for the metalheads.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 29 Dec 2004 8:55 am

John's band is killer, with first rate musicians doing some innovative music. Check out the link!

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www.tyack.com

David Yannuzzi · Post by **David Yannuzzi** » 29 Dec 2004 9:33 am

Hey John,
I know what you mean about Gary Burton not supporting the More traditional instruments. But some were able to sqeeze in. While i was at Berklee a few years back My roomate was a mandolin principle.His name was Will Robbins. He studied with you a liitle bit. There was also a Banjo player named Chris Pandolfiie(spelling?)who was studying jazz on Banjo. I believe Matt Glasser Helped him to be accepted. The problem was there were no mandolin or banjo teachers so they had to study in the guitar dept.My friend Will's teaher Norm Zocher went the extra mile and tuned a small scale guitar he had like a mandolin to get a prospective on on how to approach it.I thought that was very cool. If a steel player wants to go to berklee MIke Ihde would Help.I studied with him and was able to finish up my guitar studies on pedal steel.He was a big help in getting started on steel. He also teaches a lab on lap steel.He goes into technique,tuning,and gets you started.I took the lab. I wish i was there nowto be in John McGann labs or ensembles he is a great musican and teacher-Dave

Jim Hankins · Post by **Jim Hankins** » 29 Dec 2004 10:09 am

Back to the story by Buddy, a jam session with Buddy, Jimmy Day, Hank Garland, and Jimmy Bryant.....I continue to marvel at the thought of that, Jim

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 29 Dec 2004 11:40 am

David Y., the correct spelling for Chris's last name is Pandolfi.