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Topic: Merle's Steelers: Agapito Martinez/ Phil Marx Jr |
Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2004 1:00 pm |
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There's a great CD collection out called Hot Pickin' by Merle Travis. It's got wonderful steel guitar on many of the cuts. It's from the golden age of country and western swing. The players include Joaquin Murphey, Speedy West and Noel Boggs. There are also two wonderful players i've never heard of: Agapito Martinez and Phil Marx Jr. Both of these guys sound great, in the same league with the others. Does anyone here know about these two?
Another interesting thing about this CD. There is a version of Steel Guitar Rag, but it is a vocal with lyrics!
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Dan Sawyer
Fender Deluxe 8® (stringmaster), Fender Deluxe 8 (trap), Gibson EH-150, Wayne Lap Steel[This message was edited by Dan Sawyer on 26 September 2004 at 02:40 PM.] |
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Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 26 Sep 2004 8:59 pm
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Pete Martinez was "one of the guys" in So. California, who played mostly with Jimmy Wakely, among others. He left LA rather early, like 1951, and moved back to his home town of Wichita Falls TX where he got involved with the public school system there.
Through the persistance of Tom Morrell, he was inducted in the Texas Steel Guitar Hall of Fame several years ago, and is a fine old gentleman.
He continued to play steel guitar until a couple of years ago when his Bigsby, a very early one (he says it was built right after Joaquin's), was stolen and he lost his enthusiasm for the art. We're on the lookout for that guitar.
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
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Dana Duplan
From:
Ramona, CA
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Posted 27 Sep 2004 4:17 am
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Merle used to play some steel too, but I'm not aware of him playing on his recordings. Luthier Richard Allen recalls seeing him play live, with a single-neck Bigsby on legs--he would sling his guitar behind his back, and wank on the steel. Somewhere I have a live recording, I believe one of the Cliffie Stone live shows, where he calls out for Merle to play a steel solo.
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Al Johnson
From:
Sturgeon Bay, WI USA
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Posted 27 Sep 2004 4:37 am
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| well, all I know about Phil Marx did a lot of recording for Capitol records when Wesley Tuttle was there and setting up musicians Phil recorded with Tex Ritter and many others also recorded some instrumentals on capitol transcriptions. Wesley Tuttle told me once on the phone about Phil Marx, Wesley said one day he was gone from the scene. al |
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Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
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Posted 27 Sep 2004 11:49 am
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Thanks Al, Dana and Herb for that information. I'm just loving this CD. Never knew Merle actually played steel, but it's not surprising when you think about all the other things he could do so well.
Al, are any of those Capitol transcriptions available on CD? |
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