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"Food for Thought -- the Music of Steels"
by Phil Emerson of Phil's Guitars

A little known fact is that a lot of solos (and I mean whole solos!) played by western swing steel guitar players in the 1940's and 50's were, note for note, solos originally performed by cornet/trumpet players from the late 20's and early 30's; and they were the most profound influence, to this day, on swing and "hot" steel players.  Many don't know this now, and many of the steel players themselves didn't know this.  Here's the story...

Bix Biederbecke was one of the greatest cornet players of all time and along with Louis Armstrong "invented" the jazz solo.  At least, the "modern jazz solo thing" really started with them.  His "Singin' the Blues" solo is a masterpiece of invention, tone (forever), and just blew everyone's mind. (He still has a cult following to this day). Anyway, one of the greatest Hawaiian steel players, (the greatest to me), was Sol Hoopii (pronounced "Ho-oh-Pee-ee"). Hoopii was a classic example of the "natural sophisticated musical instincts" so many Hawaiians possess. I've known many Hawaiians who are deep, deep, sophisticated, knowledgeable musicians, and seem to be born with this ability.  Hoopii heard Bix, and that sent him to another level on steel guitar.  He actually played Bix's "Singin' the Blues" and played Bix's cornet solo note for note on a Tricone steel guitar.  Just amazing to hear.  Many other Biederbeike and Armstrong solos influenced Hoopii's playing.  Hoopii himself actually became world famous. Naturally, steel players were influenced by him and learned his solos note for note, then made their own styles out of their various influences.

The Biederbecke/Armstrong influence is heard everywhere in old swing steel solos.  And by the time two or three generations had passed, many players didn't realize exactly where these "hot" and melodic licks came from.  To some people, these were "Herb Remington" licks, or "Jerry Byrd" licks.  But if you were to ask Herb or Jerry about it, they would rave about people like Hoopii and the horn soloists who influenced them all in the late '20's to early '30's.  Find an early recording of "St. Louis Blues" by Armstrong, and memorize (or at least become familiar with) the trumpet solo he plays, and listen to steel guitar solos, and you will, in no time at all, start hearing phrases and licks that sound very familiar.  And it sounds GREAT!  It's one of those rare instances in which it translates to a steel guitar perfectly and becomes its own wonderful emotive sound.  The slurs, pops, and dynamics of cornet/trumpet translate perfectly to steel guitar's slurs, swells, and dynamics.

So, from Bix, to Hoopii, to Remington, to Jr.Brown, all great players, doing their own unique interpretations of timeless pure music...And I'm still not tired of hearing some recent player knocking out a "Bix" riff on the steel guitar, and still really get their attention after they say "Bix who?"  And off they go, into that wonderful world of hot solos/ wonderful melodies and solos of the 1920s and '30s.  Get the CDs Vol.1 Vol.2 of Sol Hoopii's, "King of the Steel Guitars" on Rounder Records, to hear what I'm talking about.  It's amazing to hear, and really puts it all into chronological perspective.

My brother, Ken Emerson, was hip to this from the very beginning of his learning to play the steel guitar. Ken really understands how it makes a simple tune sound profound, without having to overplay or get too busy in order to make the point, while playing his solo during the tune.  Listen to Ken's solo on the Hula Cat's CD, "SWINGIN' IN PARADISE," (at the KOKOMO STORE) during the song "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me."  You hear a lot of later Sol Hoopii (from his electric steel guitar days), and a lot of Andy Iona technique applied.  Andy Iona's sound was to let the steel bar sit on the wound strings and without picking the strings, would cause a "drone" chord caused by the slide bar moving slightly vibrato-like over the strings, almost an organ like sound...very pretty.

Yet, Ken's notes during solo are widely dispersed and very far apart, not clusters of notes close together, so that he's really taking chances during his solo.  And this was recorded live in front of an audience!  I love it!  It's called the "running in the dark as fast as you can" approach to spontaneous/ improvisational guitar playing, and is my favorite solo on the CD.  But they're all wonderful so... Buy it!!