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Topic: Information needed |
Richard Nelson
From:
Drogheda, Louth, Ireland
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Allan Kirby
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 10 Sep 2016 7:46 am |
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Hello Richard,
What an interesting topic for your Master's thesis!
I am long-time working pedal steel player with an academic background. My PhD (Canadian Studies) thesis focused on the history of rural Canadian folk music. I continue to have an interest in academic research concerning music history and the relative cultural influences.
When I was a teaching assistant at Carleton University (Ottawa Canada), I lectured on the history of popular music. I included, in the course, an element on the history of the steel guitar and the improvisational styles that evolved from it. I have since considered authoring an academic paper on the topic.
I still gig regularly with the steel guitar. However, as I age, I am looking to spend more time writing. If you are interested in exchanging some thoughts, please send me a private message through this forum.
All the best,
Allan Kirby (PhD, Carleton University) |
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Mark Carlisle
From:
Springville CA
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Posted 10 Sep 2016 9:41 am
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I think this site would be a great resource:
http://steelguitarjazz.com/home.html
Forum member Jim Cohen plays amazing jazz on C6, and his CD sports none other than jazz guitar legend Jimmy Bruno sitting in. |
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Jim Robbins
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 10 Sep 2016 11:30 am
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| There was a guy at York University (Toronto) in grad studies in the Music Department who was doing a thesis or dissertation on pedal steel. I don't know whether he finished but you could get more information from Prof. Robert Witmer there (who is an ethnomusicologist, jazz bass player and pedal steel player himself). Good luck with your studies. |
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Bill Plemmons
From:
Simpsonville, SC
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Posted 11 Sep 2016 8:53 am
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Look up Dr. Dan Jones, Standard Deviations band. He is a music professor at The University of Colorado Boulder, and is a superb jazz steel guitarist. Some of his work can be found on you tube and the steel guitar forum.
BILL |
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Richard Nelson
From:
Drogheda, Louth, Ireland
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2016 9:14 am
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Golly I didn't even need to change my cached line!
Forumite Andy Volk wrote a MARVY book about lap steel guitar called, amazingly,
"Lap Steel Guitar."
https://www.amazon.com/Lap-Steel-Guitar-Andy-Volk/dp/1574241346
This digs some ways into history, not obsessively detailed but as a narrative history. It could surely help figuring out who to ask stuff of, because they're all in there! Are you onto Brad's page of steel yet?
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
And, and.. just the LINKS here:
http://b0b.com/wp/?page_id=121
And, and; once you formulate very specific questions, just firing up the "search" function on this site and it'e earlier interation -
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/google.php
There a HUGE amount of information locked up in here, again, asking the right questions will be key. And a lot of members have certain pet brands, certain pet topics, exhaustive knowledge about totally obscure little corners... |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2016 12:09 pm
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A "must read", and a good source of information can be found in the book "Kika Kila" by John W. Troutman. Kika Kila is "steel guitar" in Hawaiian, btw.
_________________
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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Mike Holder
From:
Alabama! Home of the great “Don Helms” & his singer “Hank Williams”!
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Posted 17 Sep 2016 6:47 pm
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I know Ron Dann studied at Humber in the Jazz program using his pedal steel as his major instrument and Ron Haldorson who played bass with Lenny Breau would most likely have much to contribute on this subject being such a milestone musician on bass, guitar & steel. Doug Jernigan is also a wealth of legitimate information. Love to see the pedal steel explored like this, nothing will take it's place in country music but it is only as limited as the person playing it. Hope you make your thesis available on the forum.
_________________
I thought Nashville was the roughest, but I know I’ve said the same about them all.
I received my education, drivin through the Nation listenin to Paul!.. ( Franklin that is! ) |
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Daniel Neill
From:
Ontario, Canada living in Newfoundland, Canada
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Posted 5 Nov 2018 10:12 am Pedal Steel Research
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| Jim Robbins wrote: |
| There was a guy at York University (Toronto) in grad studies in the Music Department who was doing a thesis or dissertation on pedal steel. I don't know whether he finished but you could get more information from Prof. Robert Witmer there (who is an ethnomusicologist, jazz bass player and pedal steel player himself). Good luck with your studies. |
Hey All,
That guy was me. I've finished my MA at York in Toronto and I'm working on a PhD in Ethnomusicology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. My focus is on PSG builders and the PSG community. I've been travelling a lot in the US and Canada talking to and working with different steel guitar builders and I'm about to ask a whole bunch of questions and probably post some surveys here on the forum. I've heard rumblings about Richard Nelson's thesis on the steel guitar as a jazz instrument and I'm dying to read it. So Richard, please get in touch either here or at dwn527@mun.ca.
_________________
Ethnomusicologist researching PSG makers and players--1958 Supro 6 string, Melelani 8 string, 1973 Sho-Bud Professional D-10 updated by Marrs and Surratt in 2003--Gretsch drums, Zildjian cymbals, Ludwig Bronze 6.5x14 snare, 1987 BMW R80RT
Last edited by Daniel Neill on 5 Nov 2018 10:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2018 10:19 am
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| I, for one, would love to read both Richard's and Daniel's theses. |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2018 5:57 pm
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| The "Big E" was a jazz bassist in his early years. He was the master of C6 as far as I am concerned. No one any better on C6. |
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J R Rose
From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2018 7:00 pm
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Very interesting topic Richard. As for searching out early day builders don't forget Zane Beck. He has been giving credit for installing the first knee levers on a guitar, at least that is what I have been told. Plus he played a 12 string jazz style. Super Picker. Good luck on your journey. J.R. Rose
_________________
NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose |
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Dustin Kleingartner
From:
Saint Paul MN, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2018 9:25 am
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Another thread brought me to this page:
http://nmmusd.org/Collections
And they cite this:
Timothy D. Miller, The Origins and Development of the Pedal Steel Guitar, M.M. Thesis (Vermillion: University of South Dakota, 2007).
Good Luck!
_________________
Proud parent of a good dog. |
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Ross Shafer
From:
Petaluma, California
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Posted 14 Nov 2018 10:09 am
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| Watch out for that Daniel Neill guy eh! And be patient, he is a drummer after all. |
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