Barney Kessel/Buddy Emmons connection

[scott murray]

Buddy has always said his great song At E's was inspired by Kessel's Barney's Blues and you can certainly hear the influence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndOMnoAERIk

but I recently discovered Barney's version of Duke Ellington's I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (which Buddy recorded years later with the Swing Shift Band) and his intro/outro is almost identical to the opening line of At E's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1C3P--Cq-Q


with songs like At E's and Kick to Boot (inspired by the Tonight Show theme), I really admire the way Buddy was able to take a simple line as inspiration and develop it into something arguably better and certainly more complex than the original song.

any other examples come to mind?

[robert kramer]

I could be wrong but it sounds like Buddy's arrangement on Neal Hefti's Li'l Darlin' from "Buddies" Flying Fish (1977) is similar to Joe Pass' arrangement available on "A Night Out With Verve."

https://www.amazon.com/Night-Out-Verve- ... B00004ZEJJ

Joe Pass Li'l Darlin' (also on iTunes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPU0DPqlpgo

@ 4:21 Buddy Emmons / Buddy Spicher "Little Darlin'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp5lB3W5sGo

[Bill Cunningham]

I've posted this before, but if you listen to two 1957 albums by Barney you will hear two or three licks we think of as original Emmons '60's vintage C6 licks. One album is The Poll Winners (with Shelly Mann and Ray Brown) and the title of the other one escapes me and my LP's are packed up at the moment.

[Mike Holder]

Robert; just want to say how much I enjoy your posts, very informed, researched & inspiring..thanks.

[Jussi Huhtakangas]

Buddy also said that he got the idea to the Night Life intro from turnaround on Barney's version of Midnight Sun ( at 24 seconds in the clip ):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0RfInuSQGc

[Russ Wever]

Here's ya another 'connection' ~> S. S. Cool

Emmons-heads listen up at 1:58 . . .

[robert kramer]

This thread is great! I know it's about Barney Kessel but this is fun! I knew Chuck Wayne wrote S.S. Cool but I had never heard his music. I have a new guitar hero! As Mr. Weaver points out - here's Emmons' quoting Chuck Wayne @ 2:35

"Kicks To Boots"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdBPWx48hs4

Here's another from Cannonball w/ Miles @ 1:17 (although Bird plays it too which means it came from Lester and probably before that)

"Straight No Chaser"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooS2i65-vk8

[Russ Wever]

Here's another from Cannonball w/ Miles . . .

Excellent!

That's what Emmons played over the first line (measures 1-4)
of the second ad lib chorus of At E's on the Black Album.
When you refer to 'Lester' I reckon that'd be 'Prez' Young, huh?

Here's the source of another oft-played Big E figure from
the opening statement of ~> 'On The Trail' at 1:28

~ W e v e r

[scott murray]

these are all great! thanks for playing along fellas, I'm really enjoying it.

anyone know where to find Pat Martino playing the famous descending chromatic lick?

[scott murray]

Here's another from Cannonball w/ Miles . . .

Excellent!

That's what Emmons played over the first line (measures 1-4)
of the second ad lib chorus of At E's on the Black Album.

it should be noted that Russ has an excellent tab of At E's, one of my favorite pieces of music. I love playing the head but I still haven't tackled that solo! thanks Mr. Wever

[Russ Wever]

Scott Murray,

In the interest of Emmons lore, I'm
curious as to Kicks To Boot having
been inspired by Johnnys Theme?

Is this something that Emmons
stated or wrote about, or more
on the 'speculative side'?

The melodies both begin with five notes
descending but even they are different:
Kicks is 8 5 3 2 1 while Johnnys is 3 2 1 7 6
then from there, any melodic or harmonic
similarity is virtually nonexistent.

It'd be interesting to know if/what deference
Buddy might had made to Johnnys Theme.

BTW, Johnnys Theme has a somewhat interesting
lineage: Written by Paul Anka, it was first recorded
as ~> Toot Sweet then, with lyric added, was
recorded by Annette Funicello as ~> It's Really Love.

~ Russ

[Russ Wever]

Robert Kramer,

Imagine this melody ~> B&Bs played
considerably slower (ballad) on E9th . . .

. . . then refer to this ~> melody.
Rather prominent similarities . . ?

~Russ

[Tony Glassman]

Buddy also said that he got the idea to the Night Life intro from turnaround on Barney's version of Midnight Sun ( at 24 seconds in the clip ):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0RfInuSQGc

Thanks for posting that.... "Midnight Sun" is one of my all- time favorite tunes. Barney plays it beautifully.

[scott murray]

can't locate the quote now, but I'm quite sure Buddy said Kicks to Boot was originally inspired by The Tonight Show theme.

thanks for all the links, this is fascinating stuff.

[Russ Wever]

anyone know where to find Pat Martino playing the famous descending chromatic lick?

On Youtube . . .

Hear some ~> HERE Head for 3:11

and see some ~> HERE Head for 0:55

Demonstration & discussion ~> HERE

[robert kramer]

Russ Weaver – “Buttons & Bows” is a revelation to me. Thanks very much.

Emmons mentions the song “Buttons and Bows” in the notes to “Steel Guitar Jazz and Four Wheel Drive” Steel Guitar Record Club No.5.

In this video Jay Dee Maness mentions that Buddy Emmons wrote “Blue Jade” when he was 14 years old. That would be 1951 and Emmons was already a working musician and apparently already composing and arranging songs for the steel guitar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYvIBT3-WDo

“Buttons and Bows” was a hit for Dinah Shore reaching the Billboard Charts September 17, 1948 lasting 24 weeks on the chart, peaking at number one. Gene Autry’s version also released in 1948 going #6 Country and #17 Pop. 1948 is the year Emmons’ father bought Emmons his first steel guitar and the year he enrolled at the Hawaiian Conservatory of Music - South Bend, Indiana.

Here also the Pat Martino Guitar Lesson on "Chromatic Scale: Octavistics"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9Nny4db27c

ca. 1976


Thanks Scott Murray for your post and thanks to all for your insight.

[Glenn Suchan]

In this video Jay Dee Maness mentions that Buddy Emmons wrote “Blue Jade” when he was 14 years old. That would be 1951 and Emmons was already a working musician and apparently already composing and arranging songs for the steel guitar....

Robert, I'd read/heard that Buddy wrote "Blue Jade" as a remembrance of a trip to Japan that was arranged by and with whom Buddy was joined, Dewitt "Scotty" Scott.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

[Glenn Suchan]

Here's what Buddy had to say about "Blue Jade":
http://www.buddyemmons.com/_board/000002e0.htm

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

[Russ Wever]

. . Buddy wrote "Blue Jade" as a remembrance of a trip to Japan . .

Scotty hadn't taken Buddy to Japan until the later '70's or early '80's,
so it couldn't have been written as 'a remembrance of a trip to Japan',
since we know it was on The Black Album which was recorded at the
turn of the '70's and if Buddy wrote it, as Jay Dee says, when Buddy
was 14, that would have been in 1951, when Buttons and Bows was
still a rather fresh song, having been recorded by 'many in the bizz' . . .

[Steve Hinson]

Wonder what"Blue Jade"sounded like without pedals?

[Russ Wever]

Wonder what"Blue Jade"sounded like without pedals?

'Funny' you would mention that, Steve . .
Actually Scotty had it worked out on his
6-string Frypan. He never had 'formally'
recorded it, but had played it around
at a few steelshows.
~Russ

[Russ Wever]

When he found out that Martino was presenting
a teaching seminar in St. Louis, Buddy drove up
from Nashville to attend.
Center rear, over Buddys right shoulder
is Scottys son, DeWitt ('Dee') Junior.

~ W e v e r

[robert kramer]

Glenn - I remembered reading the Blue Jade/Japan quote, too - thanks for finding it. Here is a short quote from the notes to “One For The Road” (released 1982) Emmons thanks: “Mitsuo Fujii for making my dream trip to Japan a reality.”

Steve - I’m trying to piece together a timeline which might answer your question - not saying this is actual the “lap steel Blue Jade tuning.”

Emmons got his triple neck Fender Custom in 1952 at age 15. (Steel Guitar Record Club #5 / photo from http://www.buddyemmons.com/



After the Fender Custom Emmons - got his quad neck Fender Stringmaster. Fender had introduced the Stringmaster series in 1953. (photo from http://www.buddyemmons.com/



Here is the Jimmy Work Detroit session of ca. June 1954 (Buddy age 17) playing a quad neck Fender Stringmaster. Emmons had heard Bud Issacs “Slowly” (#1 Billboard February 20, 1954) and thought up a non-pedal tuning to get the pedal sound. Here is Bobby Caldwell’s explanation from Ernie Reed’s http://www.buddyemmons.com/

http://www.buddyemmons.com/Believe.htm

This pedal sound can be heard on “That’s What Makes The Jukebox Play” and “Making Believe.” The Don Helms influence can be heard on
“Don’t Give Me A Reason To Wonder Why” and “Just Like Downtown”
(which has a dobro style break).

“That’s What Makes The Jukebox Play”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv_CAArVcGo

“Don’t Give Me A Reason To Wonder Why”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s6D0UPt7hQ

“Just Like Downtown”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL-hO3d ... L-hO3dLiCU

Making Believe"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of5TJAHMUds

Once again - I’m not saying this is the “Blue Jade” tuning - just saying this is some of what Emmons sounded like on a lap steel. Later in 1954 (aged 17) he received his triple neck Bigsby pedal steel. At the last minute he had called Paul Bigsby to change on the the necks to the “Slowly” tuning. (Steel Guitar Record Club #5). The is the guitar he took to Nashville in 1955.

Russ - I’d give a $100 right now o see Scotty play “Blue Jade” on the lap steel. Many years ago in a steel guitar magazine you posted the transcription to "At E's" That was extremely helpful for me trying to decipher Emmons - thanks very much for making that available.

[Mark Wayne]

I needed this post....Thank you.

[Ron Hogan]

Listening to all these samples of guitar licks that you could tell Buddy had influences from, reminded me of an album that Buddy recommended and copped licks from for about six months.

Charlie Parker Jam Session

https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Parker-J ... B000004768