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Topic: David Feet Rogers |
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 2 Jul 2014 7:33 am |
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Been listing this week to a lot of Gabby & Feets with the Sons of Hawaii. Feets playing was so simple and beautiful. His bell-like, perfectly placed harmonics and sparse comping is the antithesis of players like Noel Boggs and their big chords. So many flowers in the garden, eh? He also did cool right-hand muted licks that added another texture - all on a Bakelite Ric. David Feet Rogers, I raise my glass to you; a unique and beautiful artist.
This album is one my all-time favorite Hawaiian records.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY8hue-Q5KM
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com
Last edited by Andy Volk on 2 Jul 2014 1:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 2 Jul 2014 7:58 am
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I've been slowest coming around to Feet more than other great Hawaiian players, but it seems to me that Feet has had an enduring impact on players still to this day, especially in contemporary music.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links
Last edited by Mike Neer on 2 Jul 2014 4:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 2 Jul 2014 8:24 am
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In my view, Rogers style is really a kind of rustic, folk style of electric steel guitar as opposed to the work of jazz-influenced pros like Jules Ah See, Billy Hew Len and Gabby Pahinui. He was a merchant seaman who went back to sea between gigs.
Because his style is sparse and minimalist and doesn't reflect huge technique or chordal knowledge it's easy to discount him, but if one listens carefully, the man was a player of consummate artistry who knew what he wanted to communicate. The constancy of his harmonics, the syncopated feel and the tone he had reflected a different kind of technical mastery. But for me, it's his time feel and taste for when to comp or float above the mix with harmonics that really makes his work so lovely and artistic. On certain tunes, I hear a deep sense of swing in his playing and would have loved to hear him in a jazz context as he supposedly played other styles.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 2 Jul 2014 11:13 am
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I love what Moe Kealae had to say about Feets in the Sons of Hawaii video put out by Eddie Kamae.
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 2 Jul 2014 1:26 pm
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Excellent pov, Andy, and all on the mark. If his style doesn't click with the listener right off it can be a journey before 'getting it' as Mike described, but better off than never coming around.
And let's remember the Rogers' sound wasn't just David, it was elder's George and Benny's distinct variations that make the family legacy what it's been and become, which largely came from David Kelii, the guy all Hawaiian steelers took from. |
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Tom Snook
From:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Posted 2 Jul 2014 2:43 pm
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Feets playing was so sweet.I always wondered how he did the muting thing,then I saw Kayton Roberts do it.Little things like the volume swells towards the end of Lei No Kaiulani, on the album with Gabby on the cover.I was lucky enough to speak with Eddie Palama at the Hilton H V shortly before I left Hawaii and he told me what tuning Feets used and I've got it somewhere.
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I wanna go back to my little grass shack........ |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 2 Jul 2014 6:10 pm
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My entire perception of Hawaiian music is based on the material which record companies saw fit to release. You don’t have to be Guy Noir to suspect the accuracy of that panorama. I get the impression the Sons of Hawaii albums were part of the so called Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s which rejected much of America’s imperial influence including the pseudo island music that had been so popular up until the advent of Rock and Roll.
So the Sons took a refreshing new look at Hawaiian music. One beautiful example is the old and poignant song La Ilima which tells the story of the children of a village being swept away by a tidal wave while sheltering in the local church. Feet’s (?) steel guitar is perfect for this song.
I still like a lot of what came before the Sons of Hawaii including the Tin Pan Alley stuff, and I suspect they did not altogether hate it. Gabby’s rendition of Blue Hawaiian Moonlight in an album of otherwise Renaissance material is an indication.
As an example of the Sons of Hawaii and their rejection of Haole mores they put these lyrics in Hawaiian and English on the back of their 1976 Album:
Where are you, oh sweet grass, of the cigarette paper?
There you are! Oh fragrant blossom in the small cellophane packet.
I am smoking the pakalolo blossom, sweet grass of the rainforest,
I am going to the distant upland, for the sweet pakalolo onaona. 
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Tom Snook
From:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 4:08 am
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Sadly IMO on later Sons recordings like Andy's example and on Hawaiis Fav Slack Key and Steel Guitar instrumentals vol 1 he seems to have abandoned most if not all of his runs in favor of harmonics.What's up wit dat? 
And I found that tuning Eddie Palama gave me on the back of an Island Guitars bidness card, F#D A F#D A
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I wanna go back to my little grass shack........ |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 12:29 pm Benjamin Rogers ?? Relative ??
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| I have several 49th State Hawaiian 33 rpm L.P.s by Benjamin Rogers . Sounds like the same tuning possibly !!?? Very simple and real nice flowing style !! Anyone know if Benjamin is a relative of "Feet" ?? Olde Geeze - AKA Eddie "C" |
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 12:47 pm To "Doug" "B"
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| Hi Doug , I checked out the much earlier post on the olde Forum and it appears that Feets is a "D" Maj. tuning !! Three "D"S !! I could be wrong ?? But check it out !! olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C" |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 2:00 pm
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Eddie, Benny Rogers was Feet's uncle. Billy Hew Len said Feet used three Ds. On Cord Int. CD Benny plays a couple of Boogie improvs cited as E7th. I think he was more versatile than Feet and probably used several different tunings.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Jeff Au Hoy
From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 6 Jul 2014 5:25 am
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| The late Rev. Dennis Kamakahi, Sons of Hawaii member, related to me that Feet's tuning was the "Rogers' family" E major tuning merely slacked a whole step down. I see it as the old E7 tuning with a third added on top. To my ears, David Keli‘i was a huge inspiration to Feet. |
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2014 9:08 am Jeff hit the nail on the head !!
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| As Jeff mentioned putting the "3rd" note on top of the D maj. chord opened up a whole new horizon of sounds !! David Kelii and/or Jerry Byrd added the third and the sixth notes to complete the C6th /A# min.7th tuning !! I really enjoy the way that Benny Rogers plays all those songs with their "Rogers" unique tunings !! - olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C" |
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Norman Markowitz
From:
Santa Cruz, California
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Posted 6 Jul 2014 7:58 pm
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| Since we are on the subject of Feet Rogers. Is anyone aware of some private home recordings of just instrumentals of Feet doing steel guitar with just a guitar accompaniment done back in the 60's by his friend, the Hawaiian boxer, Francis Militante? |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 7 Jul 2014 6:52 am
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Never heard of these recordings, Norman, but I'd love to hear 'em!
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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