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Topic: Tommy Hannum - great player |
Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 4 Sep 2008 3:10 pm |
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| Iv'e been listening to Tommy Hannum on the John England CD's. What a great great player ! IMHO he has his own unique style which immediately identifies him. Great phrasing and much like BE he keeps in touch with the melody and what the song is all about. Have any of you Forumites seen or heard Tommy play, and what do you think ? |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 4 Sep 2008 3:26 pm
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I agree; Tommy's a fantastic player (and a great guy). He's always stretching for something different and rarely plays cliche licks. He was a great friend and mentor to a lot of steel players in Washington D.C. in the 70's (he's the first steel player I ever met and was a great help and encouragement) and when I moved to Nashville 25+ years ago he let me sleep on his couch till I found a place!
I'm proud to say he's still one of my best friends today and sometimes I even get to "sub" Tommy's gig with John England when he's out of town...
He's on the road with Clay Walker some these days and if you ever get a chance to meet him make sure and say hi, you won't meet a nicer or more friendly musician anywhere! |
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Scott Shipley
From:
The Ozark Mountains
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Posted 4 Sep 2008 3:45 pm
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I agree completely Pete, and his tone is killer!
_________________
Scott Shipley Facebook |
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Steve Hinson
From:
Hendersonville Tn USA
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Joe Alterio
From:
Irvington, Indiana
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Posted 4 Sep 2008 5:33 pm
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Tommy is a FANTASTIC player and I cannot recommend his "NOT Rocket Science" album enough. He plays jazz, rock 'n roll, country....and he has a level of proficiency and feel for the music that exceeds that of many of his contemporaries. No tacky band-in-a-box backing-tracks, either. It is easily one of the best pedal steel instrumental albums that I have ever heard....it is that good. Bobbe told me he has this album in stock. Do yourself a BIG favor and listen to Tommy's fantastic playing.  |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 4 Sep 2008 9:28 pm
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| I had the pleasure of seeing Tommy play with John England this summer at Roberts in NV. Totally agreed on all counts. Great band overall, also. Bought all the CDs - highly recommended. |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 4 Sep 2008 10:23 pm
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For a while, Tommy Hannum was Ricky Van Shelton's steel player/bandleader.
Brett |
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Tommy Detamore
From:
Floresville, Texas
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 4:46 am
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Tommy has been great for a long time, going way back to the Rosslyn Mountain Boys days...Another Buddy Charleton alumnus as well...
_________________
Tommy Detamore
Quilter Labs, Goodrich Sound, Source Audio, Neunaber Audio, and Stringjoy Authorized Dealer
www.cherryridgestudio.com
www.steelguitartracksonline.com |
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Jay Jessup
From:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 8:03 am
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I should chime in here on the great guy, great player theme. Tommy Hannum was the country rock steel player most of us looked up to when I arrived in DC in 77 and even though he did take lessons from Buddy C he was pursuing he own style at the same time. I ran into him at a gig one night and mentioned that I was getting tossed out of the house I was living in and he quickly said "move into mine" even thought we didn't know each other all that well at the time. I took him up on it and even though Tommy headed for Gnashville a few months later I stayed there until I pulled up stakes in 82.
I'd be willing to bet most forumites have not heard the Not Rocket Science recording that Tommy did in his own studio but its is one of my favorite steel albums, I'd recommend it to all!! |
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Larry King
From:
Watts, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 8:23 am
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| Re: Tommy's playing ....we found him to be an awesome player AND had a great personality and attitude. I'm having a hard time pinpointing the year but somewhere between '98 and '00 RVS was in Grove, Ok at the convention center. We were across town at Cowskin Prairie and the whole band minus Ricky came out after their show. When we found out that they were there , we just turned the stage over to them and they got in to an "out of the box" mode and the fun began. In fact , Pansier asked if he could just leave since Tommy had things well in hand and I thought it cool that he could sit down at a strange guitar and make it work as if was his own. I have high regard for the man and his music. |
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Gary Lee Gimble
From:
Fredericksburg, VA.
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 8:25 am
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| I had the distinct privilege to set up only inches away from Tommy while I auditioned to earn a seat as a Shilo Playboy. Tommy was working with Oscar Shields in Northern Virginia's most prestigious dump, The Office. This was a night I would never forget, sitting next to a seasoned picker and playing behind a vocalist who dropped more 3X5 index cards on the floor than I baked clams. Oscar's pride and joy was his filing system for all the many tunes he fished around for during an evenings gig. What fun it was.... |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Jay Jessup
From:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 9:13 am
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Pete,
Well the black Emmons looks right but the cowboy hat and short hair just don't fit my memory banks very well. 
I remember once either Bruce or I asked him about how he tuned and he said straight 440, we thought he was nuts---now how do I tune?? almost straight 440!
Jay |
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Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 9:22 am
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I really liked Tommy's album, "Not Rocket Science."
I'm not very fond of distortion devices, but I really liked his "Bluesbacher" tune.
Roger |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 9:52 am
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| tommy came into the yellow rose in sac one day 20 years ago and played my strange steel effortlessly. very nice guy, too! |
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Dan Galysh
From:
Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 10:09 am
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| I first met Tommy when he was with Ricky Van. His ride on Ricky's version of "Thanks A Lot" always knocked me out. I like his fresh and unique style. He was a big influence to me before I moved to Nashville and helped in getting me started. Great player and person. |
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Scott Shipley
From:
The Ozark Mountains
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 10:16 am
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This is one of the things I love about this forum and the folks on it. It's so great to see someone "get their flowers while they're living," instead of waitin till after the fact!
Y'all rock.
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Scott Shipley Facebook |
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Mike Gross
From:
Manchester, Connecticut, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 10:57 am
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Tommy is also an awesome vocalist and song writer in addition to his killer steel. All three areas are heard on the new CD by John England and the Western Swingers. Check out my review of their new CD in the Review section of my "Swingin' West" web site www.swinginwest.com
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Mike |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 2:03 pm
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| Tommy Hannum is a one man power house on any instrument he picks up. He is a monster Tele player also. Check him out on "Rocket Science". Great lead and harmony vocalist. He was the music director for Ricky Van Shelton. Extreme music knowledge. One of Nashville's best. |
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 5:12 pm
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| Sounds to me after reading all the allocades for Tommuy he would be a good candidate for the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. I have really enjoyed reading all the posts and sometime would like to meet and hear him play in person. |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 7:34 pm
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| Why Tommy Hannum hasn't played the ISGC is beyond me. He is the kind of player that after hearing ten people play and he gets on stage, your head will turn. He incorporates non traditional playes in his style. Miles Davis is one I can think of. Johnny Winter also. Monster dobro player. His version of "Bluesbacher" on dobro with effects is a smoker. He plays like Tommy Hannum. Plus the fact that he is a humble individual. There are certain players in Nashville who are more than steel players. They are musical artists with the ability to direct a band from a solid multi-instrumentalist background, theoretical knowledge, and most of all individual artistry. Tommy Hannum is not out to copying anyone. He's about paying tribute and artisic interpetation. He is one guy that if I knew he was playing in a state next to me I would drive to see him. He is WAY under rated, but respected by Nashville's upper echelon players. If I had to pick my favorite top ten Nashville players he'd be in the top five. He's a smok'n gun. |
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Joe Alterio
From:
Irvington, Indiana
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Posted 13 Sep 2008 1:06 pm
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Anybody know which night and club Tommy plays each week on lower Broad? I'll be in Nashville next week and want to be sure to catch up with him....
Thanks,
Joe |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 13 Sep 2008 1:15 pm
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If he's in town he plays with "John England and the Western Swingers" at Roberts on Monday nights from 6-10 (you can always catch an hour or two of that great band and still go see the Timejumpers). I believe he also usually plays there with "Scott Isonagle and the A-11 Band" on Tuesday nights from 6-10, a really good classic country band heavy on the shuffles. Upright bass and fiddle in both bands too...
Are you coming for the Americana Music Association conference? There's a lot of great music later in the week with that... |
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Joe Alterio
From:
Irvington, Indiana
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Posted 14 Sep 2008 10:42 am
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Thanks for the info, Pete. I will be there Wednesday through Saturday on vacation. That's too bad that I am missing both days that Tommy plays 
Didn't know about the conference....there's always something interesting going on in Nashville! |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 14 Sep 2008 2:05 pm
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Joe,
For what it's worth here's a link to a schedule of all the Americana conference shows; $35 gets you into all on them for 4 nights, a great deal if you're into alt-country and Americana stuff.
http://www.americanamusic.org/site.php?content=conference_showcases
And again, FWIW, I'm playing several AMA shows: Friday at the "Station Inn" with Dave Peterson, great old style country and swing and a fantastic band; Bryan Sutton on archtop electric (you'd think it was Hank Garland, I swear!), Shad Cobb on fiddle, and Dennis Crouch on bass, with a great drummer on just snare and hi-hat.
Saturday night I'm playing a set with Peter Cooper at the Station Inn (and hoping there aren't TOO many people mad cause they were hoping to hear Lloyd Green!). At the "Cannery Ballroom" I'm in the "house band" for a one hour Glen Campbell tribute show with Jim Lauderdale, Raul Malo, Dave Gonzales and Glen himself for the last 4 songs... should be fun! And then the "Sin City Allstars" band doing lots of Gram Parsons, Merle and Buck etc, for a two hour closing party at midnight; tradionally pretty much anybody from the whole week of shows might sit in for a song or two.
I hope Tommy will forgive me for hijacking "his" thread! |
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