Thumbs and Curly "Little Liza Jane"

Ken Fox · Post by **Ken Fox** » 22 Dec 2006 5:45 am

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 22 Dec 2006 6:36 am

Excellent! Thanks!

How come musicians don't smile anymore?

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

Roger Kelly · Post by **Roger Kelly** » 22 Dec 2006 6:42 am

Here is another good one.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBA-PdrCAEc&mode=related&search=

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 22 Dec 2006 6:51 am

Ken. That was an incredible video!! thanks

Anyone know exactly how Thumbs tuned his guitar? I have heard that he tuned to an Eb chord. [This message was edited by Bill Hatcher on 22 December 2006 at 07:02 AM.]

Howard Kalish · Post by **Howard Kalish** » 22 Dec 2006 9:49 am

Wow! that's fantastic. I'd heard the Billy Wimberly had a hot band but that's amazing.

Anyone know who the fiddle players are or the piano or other guys.

Curly sure was a skinny guy back then.

That's Red Foley hosting of course.

Thanks for posting that Ken.

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 22 Dec 2006 10:38 am

Howard -

One of the fiddlers is Jimmy Belkins -
Isn't this some of the same band as Blackie Crawfords Western Cherokees, that Ray Price later hired on?

This video is one of several that played at Curlys funeral.

~Russ

Howard Kalish · Post by **Howard Kalish** » 22 Dec 2006 11:07 am

Russ - Yep, now that you mention it, the fiddle player with glasses is Jimmy Belkin.

I think you're right about Blackie Crawford's band working for Ray Price, but they also worked for Lefty Frizzell.

Here's an interesting excerpt from Pee Wee Whitewing's excellent website at http://www.heartoftexasband.com/peeweebio.html

I finished School in May of 1951 at the age of 17 and called Abe who got me the job with Blackie Crawford and the Western Cherokees backing up Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price, Johnny Recter, Danny Brown and others. This was a very solid well rehearsed group and was kicks to play with. I took the place of Harold (Curly) Chalker who was the one of the best players of that time and had took a job with Hank Thompson. By the way it was Bobby Black that took my place with Shorty Joe and also Blackie Crawfords band backing up Frizzell et al.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 22 Dec 2006 2:25 pm

Very good, Bro. Russ, identifying Jimmy Belkens. The other fiddler is Johnny Manson, another of the Cherokees. I played with him some in Dallas in the mid-70's.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 22 Dec 2006 3:34 pm

Cool stuff. Love the guitar player's overhand technique (with capo, no less)

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 22 Dec 2006 5:51 pm

Pretty dang cool...
But I still think the definitive version of Little Liza Jane goes to Wichita with Lester Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys....[This message was edited by Skip Edwards on 22 December 2006 at 05:52 PM.]

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 23 Dec 2006 9:08 am

Ken,
What is the youTube name of this clip?
Thanks
Jay

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 23 Dec 2006 9:12 am

I think this is the second clip of Thumbs I've seen. It messes with my head to watch him--it is as odd looking to me as watching someone play with his toes. Very cool. Thanks for posting this.

Ken Fox · Post by **Ken Fox** » 23 Dec 2006 9:45 am

Name is the same as the topic above

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 23 Dec 2006 11:52 am

Thumbs tuned in a straight E flat.
Like an open E but down to E Flat.[This message was edited by Tracy Sheehan on 23 December 2006 at 11:54 AM.]

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 23 Dec 2006 12:13 pm

But he nearly always used a capo and it was usually on the 1st fret, so the tuning was
E
B
G#
E
B
E

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 23 Dec 2006 1:44 pm

Great - especially that drum solo by Johnathan Winters ....

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 23 Dec 2006 6:18 pm

DELETED

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 23 Dec 2006 6:40 pm

In Los Angeles in the early 1980's he usually used a Peavey guitar.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 23 Dec 2006 7:12 pm

When you sent me to see him with the Shutouts in '82, he was playing a blond '70s Telecaster.

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 25 Dec 2006 2:04 pm

Great - especially that drum solo by Johnathan Winters ....

That's not Jonathan Winters -- it's the bus driver

David Coplin · Post by **David Coplin** » 25 Dec 2006 4:06 pm

Sorry for the link that wasn't. That address is the one that came with the clip but I must have mistyped something. Thanks ken for getting the correct link.
Dave

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 25 Dec 2006 10:03 pm

It's interesting that Thumbs used a straight E or Eb tuning. In essence he was playing an open E lap steel, only with his fingers and frets instead of with a bar. He is basically fingering the hammer-ons and pull-offs. Somehow that makes it a little less mind boggling. But the skill and execution is still amazing.