| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 03/15/2007 : 06:13:37 AM
|
Is the following true or is it one of those urban legend kine things?
The story is told about Chet Atkins playing in the islands years ago; he heard slack key and decided to stay on a few days and play with some locals, try to learn something. He spent many months in Hawaii studying slack key, and finally decided he couldn't play it, and went home.
|
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
|
|
Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 03/15/2007 : 06:38:59 AM
|
.
Mostly urban legend IMHO. His slack-key tribute piece, based on Opihi Moemoe shows he has all the technical skills (no surprise there!). I think it is more of a groove thing. (as also shown by this "Slack Key" piece) He probably was uncomfortable with the particular "laid-back" Hawaiian groove, which is very hard for most of us haoles to get the hang of. Like Bob Brozman has said "you want to be the last one to sound the note, but without being off the beat". Very subtle.
|
Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 03/15/2007 07:45:02 AM |
 |
|
|
Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 03/15/2007 : 07:28:51 AM
|
I know 2 people who knew Chet very well (and I have heard lots about him that I really shouldn't know), and my friend John has been a CAAS (Chet Atkins Appreciation Society) regular and knows lots of history, including Chet's.
Chet was in Hawai`i and made a point of hearing slack key. He later recorded several slack key pieces, but not in the style of slack key. John loaned us the recordings. They have the basic melodies of the songs, but they are played in the constantly familiar Chet style, with Chet's kind of variations. The names of the songs are usually mangled almost beyond recognition, like Puanahula , or some such (the one that fried me the most) - I don't have the CD here, so I mangled Chet's mangling.
It wasn't that Chet couldn't, it was that Chet wouldn't. Chet was Chet.
...Reid |
|
|
|
Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 03/15/2007 : 11:46:32 AM
|
Yeah John, that's it. But, remember, Chet was a major producer as well as a major player. It's the producer's job to get things right. Can't lay it all off on the writers. We still thought it was Pure Chet, not Pure Gabby.
(One of the things I am not supposed to know is who Chet produced how, for what reason :-)
...Reid |
Edited by - Reid on 03/15/2007 1:34:22 PM |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
