Photos of Jerry Jeff Walker & Rodney Crowell Concert at Brit

Al Gershen · Post by **Al Gershen** » 28 Jul 2001 12:01 pm

Hi SGF:

Here's a link to some photos at last nights Britt Festivals concert in Jacksonville, Oregon featuring two perfomers: Jerry Jeff Walker (opening) & Rodney Crowell.

The URL is http://communities.msn.com/AldgsPhotos/brittconcertphotos72701.msnw

Unfortunately, there were no steel players in either band.

For my short review of the concert, see the link under "Events and Announcements at the URL:

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum4/HTML/001582.html

I hope that you enjoy the photos.

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Regards,
Al Gershen
Grants Pass, Oregon. USA
Fender 1000 (1957),
Fender PS 210 (1972) &
Gibson Electraharp EH-820
(1962)
Photos at http://www.rvi.net/~aldg and http://communities.msn.com/AldgsPhotos/_whatsnew.msnw

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 30 Jul 2001 7:52 am

No steel, huh? Do you find that surprising, considering the kind of music these guys do? I don't!

Al Gershen · Post by **Al Gershen** » 30 Jul 2001 9:44 pm

Hi Donny Hinson:

Thank you for your comments.

I'm not sure that's the right answer. It seem to me that you see a steel almost with every country group that appears on TV. And many of these groups are very rock orientated.

Is this just for the camera's eye only?

I believe that Jerry Jeff Walker's singing is very country for the most part. His lead guitar player and therefore his sound, is strongly on the rock side.

If he used a steel player, I believe the lead guitarist would have to back off a bit.

As for Rodney Crowell, he appears to be more a pop singer than a country singer. I don't see a steel with his songs or sound.

I suppose we should put this to bed now but I look forward to any additional comments on the subject.

Regards,
Al Gershen
Grants Pass, OR

nick allen · Post by **nick allen** » 30 Jul 2001 11:02 pm

It's the old "put the music in compartments" deal again. I don't believe in it (same for things other than music - books, or movies, for example - do people have eternal arguments about "is this a detective story or a romance?").
Rodney Crowell has written many great songs performed by many great country singers. If memory serves, sometimes he has steel guitar on his records, sometimes not.
Jerry Jeff, equally, is a country/folk/rock singer songwriter, who sometimes uses steel, sometimes doesn't... (there was one steel player with him for a while by the name of Hap Steinbeck, or something like that...

)
Music is music is music... nobody told Picasso he was only allowed to paint boats... nobody told Marlon Brando he was ONLY allowed to play boxers...)
Nick
(wondering why I always get into these discussions

)

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 31 Jul 2001 12:45 am

Steinbeck?

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 31 July 2001 at 01:46 AM.]</p></FONT>

nick allen · Post by **nick allen** » 31 Jul 2001 1:21 am

yeah, you know... the brother of that music writer... the one who wrote "The Greats Of Rap", and a contribution to the ET/JI debate, "E's Tuned Even", and of course the one about whether Clapton should have been a bluegrass banjo player, "Can Eric Roll"...

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 31 Jul 2001 7:57 am

Don't go gettin' defensive on me, Al.

I never said either of these guys was...or wasn't "Country"! I merely stated my opinion that I would be surprised if anyone thought these guys needed, or used the steel as an integral part of their sound.
You DON'T have to have a steel to be "Country", IMHO. (Did Roy Clark ever record with a steel?) I simply meant that the "signature sound" of these two guys doesn't feature, or demand, a steel guitar. There's dozens of pure country artists that don't use steel as part of their "signature sound".

And, there's dozens of "closer to rock-pop" acts that have a steel, but don't feature them much on their recordings. The mere fact that a group HAS a steel doesn't impress me in the least. If it isn't an important part of the sound...it's "fluff", and nothing more. Now, it is important to the guy who's doing the requisite 3 or 4 licks, and soft padding behind the lyrics, (he's gettin' paid to do those "little grace notes"). But is it "essential", or "significant" to other steel players? IMHO (again), no.

To sum up, the steel's used more often now than ever, but it's really doing less and less, and I don't find that encouraging.

(Sorry if that ruffles some people's feathers!)

P.S. Jerry's a great writer, too.

Jerry Bruner · Post by **Jerry Bruner** » 31 Jul 2001 6:17 pm

I know PAUL FRANKLIN played steel on Crowell's classic album "DIAMONDS AND DIRT".
In the past, Rodney has been very country IMO, but since Nashvegas has sort of turned its back on him he's gone in a different direction. But that doesn't make his THE HOUSTON KID less of a musical masterpiece. Yes, my initial reaction was...... " THIS AIN'T COUNTRY" and I prefer him when he makes country. But this is a well written and performed album.

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 1 Aug 2001 7:19 am

Hi Hap. "The Hapster"