I'd love to hear about any Jam sessions you had with Gary Burton or Garland. You know, the good back room jams.

Today, I dug out my old "Jazz Winds From A New Direction" CD and remembered your recording with Gary Burton at the Montreaux Jazz festival. That record is certainly a hallmark for Nashville cats stretching the limit.

Knowing where you were with Jazz, I imagine you and Garland were inseperable at the drop of an amp? That's a musical period I would have loved to witness. Perhaps you played in the alley when Garland and Dizzy jammed? Don't know? I have only heard rumours.

Thanks for any memories you feel like sharing.

How can I buy Lenny's documentary? Stuart Duncan had an advance copy. We watched bits and pieces of it between songs in LA. Its extremely well done and heartbreaking from what I remember.

There were times in the Grand Ole Opry dressing rooms where Hank and I would play a jazz tune or two between Opry spots. He seemed fascinated with the steel guitar as a jazz instrument and would always grin when you played something he liked. He was the most revered musician in town and extremely busy in the studios, so anyone fortunate enough to lock horns with him considered it quite an honor. We always lost, but we always gained something from it.

I used to listen to Hank and Gary Burton at the Carousel but never thought of participating. I worked with Gary one time and that was on an album he recorded called Tennessee Firebird.

Jussi:
Justin Tubb was responsible for the Steel Guitar Jazz album but the jam sessions he attended were at places other than the Carousel.

You have had some of the best musical experiences ever. I hope you don't mind talking more about this era. I know you don't usually toot your own horn, but this Jazz area in Nashville's history sets you apart and also IMO above the rest in total musicality. I'm glad you stayed focused on the bigger musical picture along with Garland and a few others which has inspired players like myself to view the instrument differently then the typical one dimensional view. I still listen to your records and your playing like all true Jazz players is timeless.

Sorry, My memory was mistaken about the live in Montreaux record. It was the Tennessee Firebird record I was remembering. I never owned it, wish I did. What a musical challenge that must have presented to all involved. The concept of reharmonizing traditional country songs into heavily arranged Jazz pieces is monumental.

The stories I heard from various folks that witnessed a few of those Opry sessions said Garland loved your playing and that you were just as on fire. In fact the way I've heard it was, Garland inspired you and vice a versa into playing jazz beyond what everyone knew you two could play. If you can think of anything to tell us about the types of tunes? any recordings together? about the Firebird recording preperations? if any? I for one would love to hear about those kind of things or any of those secretly proud moments. I believe this forum would agree that its OK to toot when someone hands you the horn

Thanks for sharing,

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Ron Petersen &
The Keep'n Tyme Band
Mullen Universal 12 - 1975 Session 400 - Nashville 1000

I'd buy two copies, just in case one wore out.Steel Guitar Jazz,Minors Aloud,some of the "snippets" on Pauls website...YEEEHAAAAAAAA

Hey guys,if you ever do it please include Preacher, and Georgia.

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Olli Haavisto
Polar steeler
Finland
oharvester@hotmail.com

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Since Lenny Breau and Danny Gatton’s names have been mentioned, I can say I’ve had the distinct honor of being intimidated by both of them

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Buddy, if YOU of all people are intimidated, then what chance is there for the rest of us who aspire to be steel jazz players? In NYC, there are monster sax players, guitarists, and pianists around every corner, any of which can blow the roof off a club. How do you recommend playing traditional jazz with these "incredible hulk" type players? Any insight you might provide is very much appreciated. .. Jeff

Hank Garland Then and Now

Scroll down to the third row of pictures and click on the first two in that row for an enlarged view of Hank then and now.

Hank and I were good friends back in the 40's and 50's and I visit him every now and then, as he lives about an hour away from me in Florida. You are right in that he really liked steel. His memory has faded, but he still remembers and talks about Don Davis, who preceeded me with the Golden West Cowboys and was one of Hank's favorites.

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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 16 October 2004 at 05:44 PM.]

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 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.]

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where did this leave Chet?

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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.]

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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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

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

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

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

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