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Topic: Article in Jazz Guitar Today |
Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 21 Jan 2023 11:57 am |
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Nice article. We're so fortunate to have a man with your talent and musical education playing with us in the steel guitar world. Your attitude and thinking concerning the range of the instrument is inspiring to many I'm sure.
Congratulations on the nice write up. |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2023 1:33 pm
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Thank you, Jerry! I appreciate that, very much.
I feel fortunate to be a part of the steel community - it’s hard to explain to others just how kind and helpful everyone is.
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2023 2:45 pm
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Thank you, Mike!
Dig this, my dad was in a trio with Slam Stewart for a while, probably met Art Tatum through him (Slam lived in Binghamton, the area I grew up). When my dad went to Hamilton College, his roommate was Peter Falk, from whose autobiography I learned that whenever Art would come through the area, he’d invite my dad to come and trade tunes with him!
My dad was supposedly very good, unlikely in Art Tatum’s class (who is?), but I respect the guts it must’ve taken to get up and play after him. Wild
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 21 Jan 2023 3:37 pm
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Really nice article and such an interesting story about your dad. Congrats on the interview
_________________
Check out the Steel Guitar Union Hall Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@steelguitarunionhall |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 21 Jan 2023 3:54 pm
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Nice spin with "All the Things You Are"
Keep it going! |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2023 8:16 pm
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Thanks, guys!
Dave - I admit, I wish they’d picked something more current, but at least it’s not too squirrelly!
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Tal Herbsman
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2023 10:19 am
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congrats on the article Christopher. I've admired your playing from afar for a while.
as an extra bonus, while reading about you yesterday I discovered Ed Bickert who I had never heard of before for some inexplicable reason. |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2023 11:02 am
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Thanks, Tal!
Ed Bickert is one of those “best known unknowns”, a Canadian who ruled Toronto jazz scene for a time, played with Paul Desmond for quite a while, then one day said he was done and stopped playing… wild
Not only should all jazz guitarists know him, but his approach is absolutely perfect for jazz steel guitar. Maurice Anderson liked Desmond the most among the straight ahead jazz players, and I believe part of that was how Bickert played with him. It’s one of the few questions I didn’t get to ask him in our lessons, but knowing his musical mind pretty well, I’m convinced of this.
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Tal Herbsman
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2023 1:04 pm
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| Christopher Woitach wrote: |
Thanks, Tal!
Ed Bickert ... but his approach is absolutely perfect for jazz steel guitar. |
fascinating, can you expound on why that is? |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2023 5:45 pm
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Sure - if you listen to his melody statement here (solo too), the combination of clear, to the point single notes with smaller (2-4 note) chords, using contrary motion sometimes, embedded in the line, is something the pedal steel was made to do, in my view.
I also play, usually, without another chordal instrument so this kind of approach feels nimble and “doable” while providing all the harmonic information needed for the line to really make clear sense. Combining that with some block chord and single note lines gives you a beautiful balance. I play that way on guitar (even have a couple videos on the subject for guitar), so it’s not a stretch (other than the difficulty of playing steel in the first place!) to play that way on steel…
https://youtu.be/bxPBvDYVX2w
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Slim Heilpern
From:
Aptos California, USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2023 9:01 am
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Nice write up Christopher, really enjoyed hearing a bit more about your background! I hadn't heard the All The Things You Are cut before -- I know it's not your latest work, but it was quite beautiful.
- Slim
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Chromatic Harmonica, Guitar, and Pedal Steel (Williams U12 Series 700, Emmons lap)
http://slimandpenny.com |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2023 12:22 pm
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Thanks, Slim!
I appreciate you checking it out - you know my stuff probably as well as anyone, so I know you listen with kind ears!
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2023 4:20 pm
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Great. Congratulations!
My favorite line: "the instrument is an accident waiting to happen....it’s remarkable how much can go wrong in the act of performing on it"
Snort! I'm going to steal that one since I live it every day. |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2023 7:49 pm
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Tucker
Hahah - trying to make it clear to the reader why I suck so much!!!! I’m glad you picked up on it, and the description of what’s on my instrument sets it up pretty well, hopefully in a way that a non steel player could grasp, and a steel player would snort at… you just made me laugh, too
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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David Wright
From:
Pilot Point ,Tx USA.
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Posted 24 Jan 2023 7:44 am
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Very nice, I know someone is Smiling BIG TIME ....... Great Job Christopher!!!!!Keep up the Great work...  |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2023 8:09 am
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Thank you, David - you know, more than anyone, how hard I try to make that smile happen… you have a big part of my heart, just like the one I want to make smile.
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Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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