Flashback of Earnest Bovine playing Bach

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 31 Mar 2023 2:40 pm

Let’s not forget the tremendously talented Ernest Bovine showed us how to play Bach on pedal steel. Many years later I’m still amazed!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vz_1lC51z0

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 1 Apr 2023 10:38 am

yep, guys not a bad player is he?

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 1 Apr 2023 11:11 am

Great playing from Doug. Great to hear the pedal steel in this context again. Thanks for the heads up David.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 1 Apr 2023 1:06 pm

I was lucky enough to meet Doug in London in the '70s. He came and sat in with our band, in the absence of guitarist Billy Bremner.

I'd never heard such remarkable steel playing! I was relieved that I hadn't brought my ZB with me that night.

I'm pleased to call him a friend.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 1 Apr 2023 1:47 pm

fantastic playing. I'm a big fan of his Beach Boys covers too!

Buddy Emmons was playing what I always assumed was Bach since at least the early 60s. does anyone know the title of this piece he played?
https://youtu.be/oVA8jOHdehk

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 1 Apr 2023 2:57 pm

You know that took some serious work. Wow!

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 2 Apr 2023 6:35 am

WOW! Like Joe said, had to be some serious work. Thanks for posting this David.

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 2 Apr 2023 6:49 am

Would Buddy have learned this by ear or could he read music well enough to do it? Either way, a prodigious achievement.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 2 Apr 2023 7:40 am

I'm pretty sure E's reading skills were basic at best. I believe his astute ears enabled him to tackle serious music when precision was key and improv played no part.

Doug, on the other hand, is a sight-reader which puts him in a tiny minority in the steel guitar world. We were emailing today and, he told me, he'd zipped through the six French Suites already (on piano, I'm assuming!!) before breakfast.

That'll keep things sharp! (I think all I managed was hex-tuning my 9th string-lower before breakfast.

)

Steve Cattermole · Post by **Steve Cattermole** » 2 Apr 2023 1:23 pm

Doug is in a class of his own, nobody plays the tunes he can. Buddy might have been able to, but it would be from memory, Doug reads it.Besides playing classical, he plays jazz standards extremely well, check out My Cherie Amour on You Tube. I've been lucky to play with him a few times, what a treat, can't wait to do it again

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 6 Apr 2023 8:58 am

Awesome music and no doubt a master sight reader.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 6 Apr 2023 6:10 pm

Doug is a phenomenal musician. I’ve had the pleasure of playing with him a fair amount in the band at the Arizona steel show.

Lots of credits including Donna Summer’s conductor and pianist back in her heyday.

Here’s a newspaper article from a few years ago. https://www.latimes.com/socal/burbank-l ... story.html

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 6 Apr 2023 8:40 pm

I enjoy his take on Schubert's Ave Maria even more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJPDTrCkLzg

Patrick Thornhill · Post by **Patrick Thornhill** » 7 Apr 2023 6:18 am

David Higginbotham wrote:Let’s not forget the tremendously talented Ernest Bovine showed us how to play Bach on pedal steel. Many years later I’m still amazed!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vz_1lC51z0

I watch that a few times a year to be amazed/inspired/humbled!!

The Steel Guitar Forum

Flashback of Earnest Bovine playing Bach

Flashback of Earnest Bovine playing Bach

Re: Flashback of Earnest Bovine playing Bach