Reece Anderson's Influence

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 18 Mar 2019 6:32 am

Something recently came up in our PFM Group discussion that started me wondering how many players were taught by Reece,,,talking about an extensive part of the learning journey. I know a lot of players, like myself, took a few lessons,,,but I'm thinking about those who feel they were really guided by Reece,,,people like David Wright, Junior Knight, the late (and great) Gary Hogue etc. Of course Tom Morrell was closely associated with him. How about Mitchell Smithey and Milo Deering,,,were they helped by Reece? How about others??? Just curious??

I'm very honored to have called Reece a friend,,,wish I had taken more advantage of some opportunities he sooo generously offered. He was so sencere in really wanting to promote the instrument. I miss Reece!!!

Christopher Woitach · Post by **Christopher Woitach** » 18 Mar 2019 7:22 am

Although I’m nowhere in the league of the players you mentioned, Reece was my teacher and friend, and at his suggestion I adopted his most recent Bb6!S12 setup on the Studio Pro I bought from MSA.

As a player with a very directed goal, playing jazz on the pedal steel in much the same way as I have for many years on underarm guitar, Maurice was far and away the perfect teacher and mentor for me.

I wish his brilliant Steel Camp projects had lasted longer - I know many people got a lot out of those, not to mention the zillions of people he taught privately.

The most beautiful player I ever heard up close, and as a long time jazz player and educator, I can tell he was very very deep in his harmonic knowledge.

An amazing person I miss every day....

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Mar 2019 9:55 am

I studied privately with Reece on numerous occasions when my day-job took me through Dallas. I consider him, along with Jeff Newman, one of my mentors.

David Wright · Post by **David Wright** » 19 Mar 2019 3:20 am

Maurice put my first set of picks on me in 1970, I studied with him till his passing, Miss him a lot.... he loved teaching...

Don Kuhn · Post by **Don Kuhn** » 19 Mar 2019 7:15 am

David you must have learned a lot from him as you are one heck of a steel player. You won't remember me but I met you several years ago at Charlie Norris store when the TSGA was palying there on Sunday's. I saw and talked with you there when Mooney was playing and a few times after that.The last 7-8 yrs as the Dallas show. Always enjoy watching you and Jr. play. Thanks for the great shows you put on.

Matthew Walton · Post by **Matthew Walton** » 19 Mar 2019 12:32 pm

I didn't start playing early enough to have the benefit of a decades-long mentorship with Reece, but he's the very first guy I took steel lessons from. Come to think of it, I guess it was only for three years, but he sure left an impact on me.

I was on a D-10 for a bit then moved to a 12-string SuperSlide at the time. I wish I had started out on his Bb universal (which I'm just now trying to get going with thanks to David), but I couldn't have asked for a better foundation and he was the nicest guy and super helpful any time I talked to him.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 19 Mar 2019 2:26 pm

I wonder if Mitchell Smithey,,,,or Milo Deering studied with Reece.