Jeff Newman on banjo?

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

(I'm not at home with my DVD and I figure SGF members can come up with an answer faster than I can get home.) Was Jeff Newman a studio banjo player as well as a pedal steel legend? Reason I ask (and I could pore through end credits I guess) is that there's a player in the studio with the Haven Hamilton in the 1975 film "Nashville" who looks just like him...to the untrained observer anyway. A publicity still currently on eBay has a not-very-good side view of whoever-it-is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18827&item=3812438723& rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

(or auction #3812438723)

One of my co-workers who used to teach psg and studied at Jeffran could probably fill me in, but he's usually in early in the day, whereas I'm on the late shift. And if I'm onto something maybe some other SGF participants will be interested. If not, all can look on in stupefied amazement at my uninformed theory.

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'69 alZBatross D-10/Weisskonutsens/Reasonhaters/
Perennial Sisyphean Beginner
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[This message was edited by Ben Elder on 28 April 2004 at 11:30 PM.]

Winnie Winston · From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.

Yes. That was Jeff on banjo in Nashville.
He told me that he got the job because he was the only banjo player in the union book who didn't have long hair.
As you recall, the scene revolved around Hamilton getting pissed off at the piano player (named "frog") and firing him because he was a long-haired hippie.
The steel player on that session was Lloyd.
The FUNNY part is that the long haired piano player was, in fact, the musical arranger of the WHOLE movie.
You have Nashville on a DVD?
Are there any out-takes on it?
I know that Altman has always talked about releasing the FULL thing (about 5 hours long) where all the characters are filled out-- like you don't really understand Jeff Goldblum's character, but in the longer version he was fully explained.
It was a good movie with good music. And all the songs were written bybthe performers themselves.
I have it on vide, and I should really watch it again. Was just wonder if much was added to the DVD.

JW

JAMES BANKS · From: Mineola,TX USA

I saw Jeff on the "Hank Williams Jr Story" on TV a few years ago. He was the steel player on stage when Hank Jr was doing what his Momma wanted and singing all the Hank Sr songs. I asked him about that when I was at the TopGun School last June. He and Fran told me he had made appearances in several movies in the 70's. Gives us the Jeff Newman fans something to look for when we see old movies with country band segments. He told me he wished he had kept a diary of all the sessions he recorded on when he was working Nashville.

Reggie Duncan · From: Mississippi

Weldon plays an interlude on "Keep a Goin'" on that album that is unreal! Several steel players on that one. Sonny Burnette and Stu Basore, I think.

Jennings Ward · From: Edgewater, Florida, R.I.P.

NOW THIS EXPLAINS WHY JEFF GAVE ME A SCOLDING WHEN MADE A WISE CRACK ABOUT BANJO, {BANGER} PLAYERS. HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS FUNNY. CANT REPEAT IT HERE. AFRAID OF JEFFS GHOST.. LATER, JENNINGS INCAPS AGAIN.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

There's a Karen Black Scene on the riverboat, Stu Bassore I believe is the steeler in that scene, and the cameras' right on him as he's playing harmonics at the end of the tune, and blows the very last one. Looks like he's really cussing himself- priceless. Great flick all around, although I understand it wasn't very popular in Nashville...

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

[This message was edited by Mark van Allen on 29 April 2004 at 10:26 AM.]

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

The DVD is the theatrical cut of the movie. There is however, commentary and an interview by and with Altman, as well as the theatrical trailer. I'd heard when it first came out that it could have been a multiple of its 159-minute length. Altman makes the point that a lot of scenes were spontaneous inspirations (like the junkyard and school-bus graveyard, which they drove past daily while filming on location). There is the book which came out probably in 2000 (25th anniversary) called "The Nashville Chronicles" by a Newsweek writer whose last name escapes me but is Jan (Something). Fascinating for a hardcore fan of the movie, like me. It's a "making-of" account with lots of behind-the-scenes intrigue. The music knocked me out too, and a huge part of that was the steel parts. I could go on forever but Stu Basore should have gotten the Nobel Prize for "Tapedeck in His Tractor." I could launch a long effusive diatribe (the tone! Oh the tone!) on that point but I'll table it for now.

As a native Oklahoman, I always wondered if that expanded mythical cut would tell us more about the man at the airport diner (Gailard Sartain--onetime Tulsa late-night TV movie host and comic icon before his "Hee Haw" days) who chats with Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn).

Altman claims that the locals have mellowed in their reaction to "Nashville" over the ensuing generation.

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'69 alZBatross D-10/Weisskonutsens/Reasonhaters/
Perennial Sisyphean Beginner
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Smilies Always Disabled For Your Protection

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