RE: Jerry Byrd, was: Boudin Barndance
At 09:03 PM 4/9/99 -0400, you wrote: I have a cassette of some Hawaiian stuff by Byrd, called Byrd Of Paradise, but since it's on CBS Special Products I'm inclined to think this was stuff he was doing earlier than the CDs you mentioned, Brad. Actually, "Byrd of Paradise" is among his weaker Hawaiian material. And by all means stay away from "Paradise Suite", his ill-conceived concept album. Imagine Hawaiian guitar and marching band. (Shudder...) np: the theme to "Recess" on ABC's One Saturday Morning in the other room.
Re: Jerry Byrd, was: Boudin Barndance
Jon Weisberger wrote: He and Atkins worked awfully well together, in my opinion; you can hear it on that Country All-Stars stuff. One of the things that I find interesting is that so many of the guys who played on a lot of hillbilly music records made in Nashville were interested in jazz; Byrd, Atkins, Dale Potter, but it was a different kind of jazz, That is something that I found intriguing as well. Here in Texas, it was almost a pride thing, a mark of "we're not hicks, we play country because we love it and we can also play jazz if you ask us to". Also, here it was never considered to be odd to mix jazz and country because of the deep western swing roots. Most old-time steel players had a strong dollop g of jazz in their playing simply because of that jazz-chord neck they all had on there, what is it, a C9 tuning? In nearly every dance band I have ever been in, it has been standard practice to throw in jazz instrumentals like "Home in Indiana" as break songs, as a way to blow out the cobwebs and leave them with a nice sparkly fresh feeling in their ears. -- Joe Gracey President-For-Life, Jackalope Records http://www.kimmierhodes.com
Re: Jerry Byrd, was: Boudin Barndance
And wasn't that 50s/60s country session guitarist, Garland (Hank or Wayne?), a jazz guitarist, too? -- Terry Smith It was Hank Garland. His "Jazz Winds From A New Direction" was the debut recording of vibraphonist Gary Burton, and was straightahead jazz. Quite good, too, if you like that sort of thing.
Jerry Byrd, was: Boudin Barndance
Jerry Byrd has a few of his Hawaiian CDs available through such excellent web sites as Auntie Maria's Hawaiian Music Island (http://www.mele.com). Particularly recommended is "Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style", Lehua SLCD 7023. This release is cited as the first Hawaiian steel/slack key duet to be issued, although there's some doubt in my mind as to that being true (I think the Sons of Hawaii were doing such things in the early 60's). I agree that a comprehensive overview of his contribution to country music is sadly lacking. I never see such classics as "Steelin the Blues" on compilations; what's wrong with Mercury's reissue department? Jerry Byrd was a notable session steel guitarist during much of the "classic country" period, appearing on releases by Chet Atkins, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, Roy Clark, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Patti Page, Burl Ives, Jimmy Wakely, Red Foley and many others.
Re: Jerry Byrd, was: Boudin Barndance
On Fri, 9 Apr 1999, Brad Bechtel wrote: I agree that a comprehensive overview of his contribution to country music is sadly lacking. I never see such classics as "Steelin the Blues" on compilations; You can find it on one of Rhino's Legends Of Country Guitar compilations. I think I have it on some other comp, but I could very well be hallucinating. After all, it is 5pm on Friday. YIPEE! I'm outta here!--don
RE: Jerry Byrd, was: Boudin Barndance
I have a cassette of some Hawaiian stuff by Byrd, called Byrd Of Paradise, but since it's on CBS Special Products I'm inclined to think this was stuff he was doing earlier than the CDs you mentioned, Brad. Jerry Byrd was a notable session steel guitarist during much of the "classic country" period, appearing on releases by Chet Atkins... He and Atkins worked awfully well together, in my opinion; you can hear it on that Country All-Stars stuff. One of the things that I find interesting is that so many of the guys who played on a lot of hillbilly music records made in Nashville were interested in jazz; Byrd, Atkins, Dale Potter, but it was a different kind of jazz, as you can tell by comparing versions of stuff like "Stomping At The Savoy," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "South," "Caravan," "Birth Of The Blues" (which is on one of the Byrd albums I have as well, I think the same one that has "Steelin The Blues"), "Corine Corina," and a bunch of other numbers where you can listen to versioins by Wills or some other more western swing folks. I guess that's one of the reasons that I often find the pop-ism of Chester and Co. pleasing; if you really look at and listen to it, it's pop via hillbilly jazz - these guys didn't grow up playing that stuff, they learned it because they liked it - and some pretty durn good jazz at that. There were certainly, maybe even mainly, commercial aspects to the Nashville Sound, but the records work musically (see the recent Philposted Patsy Cline adoration) because the folks who made them were able to find things to play that sound good by drawing on that knowledge and affection. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
