Part 1 of the lesson is now off the server.

Unfortuately, Part 2's audio quality degrades further toward the end when the old cassette transport introduces noise. Even so, it's a musical treasure IMHO.

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 25 June 2006 at 12:17 PM.]

Oh boy! We're overdue for another "Byrd doesn't play Hawaiian" smack down. The lines are drawn. Take up your sides, everyone!

Maybe Jeff will be our translator again..

I also love Jerry’s playing, his touch (expression), his tone and his style as Jeff says for what it was. I would travel far and wide to hear him play anytime. But when it came to the Hawaiian touch and style he did not fully express it for me, either. I point to his use of the volume pedal control as the reason it did not sound more fully Hawaiian. I would have liked to hear Jerry play without the volume pedal control. He had a lot of the Hawaiian vamps down, which does give the Hawaiian ring to it, but he often played them under the influence of the volume pedal control.

This situation, I believe, is similar to black gospel singing where whites try to emulate it, but I do not believe they ever arrive.

Remember all of this is just opinion, not necessarily fact.

Jerry's style (his touch, tone, and phrasing) is so unique that it can stand out among the rest. It's not 100% Hawaiian...It's not 100% Country...it encompasses the best of it all. He took the framework of both (and other) musical styles, smoothed out the edges with his volume pedal and phrasing, and made the steel guitar sing like no other. Personally, I find him definitive in the Hawaiian style. Having hearing him "live" really brings this to point. The studio is a totally different environment. Many Hawaiian musicians loved and recorded with Jerry...prefering his sound over others they could have chosen.

Billy is also a favorite of mine with his unique style. Thanks for posting this Andy! Perhaps it will get more folks who have a treasure like this packed away somewhere to break it out!

[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 27 June 2006 at 12:39 AM.]

It's like saying only Jamaican guys play real Reggae. Single line runs vs. seamless unbroken chord lines, what? Swinging hard vs. Milky licker mono, what? White vs. Island boys? Yea...

About a year prior to Jerry's passing, he sent me an audio-letter and it was really quite tragic. Having given a major portion of his musical career to acknowledging and/or helping his thousands of devoted fans, Jerry had come face to face with the harsh reality of some real negative attacks about him over one of the world's most famous and pleasurable steel guitarist computer hang-outs.

One Forumite in particular, had become highly critical of Jerry and seemed to pounce on any/every remark that Jerry might make. Jerry's brother Jack Byrd had kept him up to date on the steel guitar world since Jerry refused to have anything to do with computers. Jerry was somewhat bemused that his brother Jack became so upset over the negative comments being directed at Jerry. However as time went by, Jerry too, began to feel the sting of these unkind remarks.

He was quite upset as a result of some of the comments made about him "not being Hawaiian enough"; or, "being too Hawaiian". Some of these detractors had not even been born when Jerry arrived in the islands.

It was so up-setting to me to listen to this wonderful man admitting that these derogatory comments had actually gotten to him and he was speaking as a man that had been hurt quite deeply. He simply was unable to figure out what it was that he had ever done that turned these one or two individuals against him. So as great as he was....those hurtful remarks still penetrated to his inner-most soul. It still saddens me, that Jerry Byrd went to his death, with these unanswered questions in his heart.

While I stand by my opinions, I'm truly sorry if my words caused Jerry any distress. I'm sure that as a life long lover of Hawaiian music, he thought he was expressing it with his entire being as it should be played. In the future, I'm going to think harder about what I post regarding a living player. In the meantime, let's forget this topic drift and just enjoy the insights of the great Billy Hew Len.

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 28 June 2006 at 02:53 AM.]

Very interesting lesson on this old recording.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 28 June 2006 at 09:40 AM.]

Yes, music does evolve--but where does one draw the line? Can I play anything I want and call it Western Swing? Even if a guy's a jazz player, can't you tell immediately that he's not playing bebop? Or am being too close-minded in not considering Kenny G a bopper? I was born and raised in Hawai'i and one of my other loves is Bluegrass music, which I've listened to since long before I ever picked up a steel guitar... but should I go over to Nashville and tell them whether or not they're playing the real stuff?

[This message was edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 28 June 2006 at 05:39 AM.]

Thanx for the re-assist per lesson #1.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

[This message was edited by Kenny Dail on 12 July 2006 at 02:32 PM.]