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abrigoohana
Lokahi
271 Posts |
 Posted - 07/26/2010 : 10:25:05 AM
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Aloha,
This week we will be nominating the Rogers family for induction into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. Please support their nomination by sending emails to the president of the Steel Guitar Hall of fame, DeWitt Scott. His email is scotty @ scottysmusic.com. Tell your friends that love the Rogers style too, post it to websites and networks, send it out to steel guitar groups if you can. The nomination is due this week, and the board for the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame will be making their decision at the the 2010 International Steel Guitar Convention on September 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Here is our letter of intent to nominate:
Aloha Mr. Scott,
This week I will be sending you a nomination for a famous family of Hawaiian steel guitarists, the Rogers family. This family has produced 4 unforgettable steel guitarists, Benjamin "Benny" Rogers, David "Feet" Rogers, George "Pops" Rogers, and "Uncle Ronald" Kanahele. Each one, playing the distinctive Rogers style has reached great heights in popularity here in Hawaii, and traveled the globe with some of Hawaii's most famed musicians such at Genoa Keawe, and Eddie Kamae. Through several decades, they have played the most hauntingly beautiful steel guitar, and have inspired many to play the instrument.
Rather than submit these steel players one at a time, I have chosen to submit them as one because the Rogers family steel was carried in their bloodline. The style was created and nourished by all four of these great players of the steel guitar. My hope is for the family to be inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame while the last of these legends is still in good health and can accept the induction in person.
For your reference, I am attaching two audio recordings. The first is David "Feet" Rogers with his band Sons of Hawaii, from the album Music of Old Hawaii, the song is Maile Lau Li'ili'i. The second is Benjamin "Benny" Rogers, from the CD History of Hawaiian Steel Guitar, song entitled Steel Guitar Boogie.
Mahalo for your support!
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2176 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2010 : 4:34:06 PM
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| Good idea |
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Adam Troy
Akahai
Australia
58 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2010 : 8:30:21 PM
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Dear Abrigoohana,
I am in complete sympathy with your inspiration and your intention, and I intend to support your nomination. However, I have to disagree with your approach. The Hall of Fame board will have difficulty with a multiple nomination. Then there are those out there who do not rate all the players equally, no matter how good they were and are. For example: one should listen to Billy Hew Len’s technical appraisal of “Feets” playing. As a long time student of the recordings of Benny Rogers I have to say I am disappointed with your choice of example of his records even if it is one of the few tracks available on CD. There are any number of steel guitar players who could have done as well with that Boogie piece. I encourage anyone interested in this music to listen to Benny’s version of “My Yellow Ginger Lei.” It is full of his wonderfully lyrical and syncopated style, quite unlike any other player. I do love the playing of uncle Ron, but I cannot in all fairness say he plays like Benny, although the sense of immediacy is certainly prevalent in his playing. I think you should have started out nominating Benny first and then waited to see how it went. All that being said, I wish your nomination well. Good luck and Aloha. PS a great deal of Benny’s work can be downloaded from Cord International’s website.
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Edited by - Adam Troy on 07/27/2010 8:34:49 PM |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 07:30:58 AM
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| Agree with Adam. Hall of fame is set up for individuals, so it's hard to nominate a family. Good idea, though. Annet - say hi to Uncle Ron for me. He's quite a guy! |
keaka |
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sm80808
Lokahi
347 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2010 : 01:05:16 AM
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| What was Billy Hew Len's appraisal of Feets? |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2010 : 09:23:27 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by sm80808
What was Billy Hew Len's appraisal of Feets?
Dunno. Do you? |
keaka |
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sm80808
Lokahi
347 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2010 : 09:32:06 AM
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Jack, I was referring to this:
quote:
Originally posted by Adam Troy
one should listen to Billy Hew Len’s technical appraisal of “Feets” playing.
I checked Google to no avail, that is why I asked.
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Edited by - sm80808 on 08/02/2010 09:38:07 AM |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2010 : 12:17:40 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sm80808
Jack, I was referring to this:
quote:
Originally posted by Adam Troy
one should listen to Billy Hew Len’s technical appraisal of “Feets” playing.
I checked Google to no avail, that is why I asked.
Hmmmm.... curious. Adam, you out there? |
keaka |
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Adam Troy
Akahai
Australia
58 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2010 : 5:50:29 PM
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| Sorry about the long wait. I got blind-sided by the dates of responses. The Billy Hew Len tapes made by Hal Smith make fascinating listening. Billy favoured A6 tuning and compares it to Jerry Bird's C6 and the D tunings used by Feet. He did not like the positions of C6 and he is less than complimentary about Feet's tuning. He points out its limitations in comparison the both 6th tunings. One thing I recall he said in so many words; three root notes in six is overkill(D). I suppose I should enlarge on that. The tapes were unstructured, made between numbers at gigs,and drinking beer in the park. Billy talked about the "action" of A6th being so much faster than Feet's tuning and he demonstrates through a series of lightening licks.Also he points out that with Feets tuning all those wonderfull tunes by the likes of Iona,Koki,etc were unavailable as they frequently used harmonies beyond the Majors. He could pack a scale into two or three frets while Feet was wasting his time on an obscelete tuning that required four or five. If only Hal had a video camera back then. There is an interesting anecdote in the first tape where Hal says he asked Feet what tuning he used and Billy goes "He doesn't know, does he?" Hal said he did not,and Billy adds "but heplays it like a wizard!" Anyway Hal interpreted the tuning as top string F#,D,A,F#,D,D. There is a major scale on three frets there, but it is on the inside strings. Kind of uncomfortable not using the top string. When Billy tries out Hals guitar tuned ala Feet he uses some quite colorful language. |
Edited by - Adam Troy on 08/16/2010 5:11:16 PM |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2010 : 7:00:50 PM
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| Eh, Adam! IMHO, it doesn't make much difference which 6th tuning you use - they all have the same flexibility. As early as the 30's, Sol Ho'opi'i was using a "C#min tuning" (really E6). Ddon Helms used an 8 string E6 when he played with Hank Williams. Also, the top of the B11 tuning is an A6 (from lower string, F# A C# E). And, Kona Bob uses a G6 tuning. Also ,how and/or where can I see the aforementioned video of Billy Hew Lin? |
keaka |
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Adam Troy
Akahai
Australia
58 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2010 : 7:58:25 PM
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| Hi Slip, I agree that there is not a lot of difference C6 And A6. I chose to pursue A6 because of the major Triad on top, anf the relation to B11 Of course some players put a G string on the top in C6. Billy didn't like that because the he said the string was thin and whinie.I've never tried it. The choice would be all about personal taste and maybe where you find the center of your favorite keys. G6 is probably a good choice if you play a Dobro or a National because of the string tension. The Billy Hew Len tapes by Hal Smith where are series of audio tapes made in Hawai'i in 1980. I wish they were video but no such luck. A transfer to MP3 disk was made by Chuck Wilson and Andy Volk in 2006. Andy can be found on the Steel Guitar Forum where he originally offered the disk for sale. Another great disk put out by Andy is Ralph Kosiana: A life in Hawai'ian Music. That is a 30 minute DVD. Anyway, they are all heros to me; Ralph, Billy, Feet, Benny, Andy Iona, the list goes on. |
Edited by - Adam Troy on 08/16/2010 7:59:16 PM |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2010 : 06:58:41 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Adam Troy
Hi Slip, I agree that there is not a lot of difference C6 And A6. I chose to pursue A6 because of the major Triad on top, anf the relation to B11 Of course some players put a G string on the top in C6. Billy didn't like that because the he said the string was thin and whinie.I've never tried it. The choice would be all about personal taste and maybe where you find the center of your favorite keys. G6 is probably a good choice if you play a Dobro or a National because of the string tension. The Billy Hew Len tapes by Hal Smith where are series of audio tapes made in Hawai'i in 1980. I wish they were video but no such luck. A transfer to MP3 disk was made by Chuck Wilson and Andy Volk in 2006. Andy can be found on the Steel Guitar Forum where he originally offered the disk for sale. Another great disk put out by Andy is Ralph Kosiana: A life in Hawai'ian Music. That is a 30 minute DVD. Anyway, they are all heros to me; Ralph, Billy, Feet, Benny, Andy Iona, the list goes on.
Thanks, Adam. I'll look into it. As for the "whiney" high G, I'm careful with the gauge. I use an .012 for it. It helps when I have my single 8 and someone requests "Sand" or "How'd Ya Do", which I play in F and C, respectively. I learned the tuning from Bobby Ingano, who uses a 7 string Rickenbacher (no low C) - Bb E G A C E G, from low to high. It's also very useful for Country, Cajun and Western Swing when I need it. |
keaka |
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sm80808
Lokahi
347 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2010 : 09:32:42 AM
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Thanks for the reply Adam Troy... sounds like an interesting interview. as to the tuning
quote:
F#,D,A,F#,D,D
I am guessing that reads from highest pitch to lowest. Why the two low D strings? Is that an octave or unison?
Feets (and Uncle Ron, if that is his tuning) definitely make that tuning sing. |
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Adam Troy
Akahai
Australia
58 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2010 : 12:07:15 PM
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| Hi guys, Yes Fsharp is the first string. I believe putting it that way is the convention for writing tunings even though I think the other way. I would guess the Ds were octaves. I don't know what Uncle Ron uses. I will have to look closely at his vids. I now put a G on the bottom of my 8string A6. It gives me a dominant 7th which may not be ideal but its kinda fun. I think Jerry Byrd said Use one tuning until you know it thoroughly. I have not taken his advise, but I have whittled it down to three and they are all have a major triad on top. |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 08/19/2010 : 09:36:48 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Adam Troy
Hi guys, Yes Fsharp is the first string. I believe putting it that way is the convention for writing tunings even though I think the other way.
I've always started with the bottom, aka the lowest sounding note. This seems to be a standard with most teaching methods for guitar that I've seen. It's also the one closest to your body when the steel is in front of you. Of course, with a standard guitar, it's the one that is geometrically the highest, but it's still the one closest to your head. Ah, well......... |
keaka |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2176 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2010 : 07:01:25 AM
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| Again the "folk" type of reckoning is at odds with the "proper". At least we have digital tuners! |
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Rogers Family to the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame
