chicken pickin'
Posted by: jayd on 26 August 2004
Seeking recommendations in this underappreciated style of guitar playing. It's easier for me to give examples than describe it; think of Knopfler's playing on "Setting Me Up" (off the first album), or Elliot Easton's solo from "My Best Friend's Girl" (The Cars-The Cars). Think Telecasters and twang. There must be masters of this style out there - who are they?
Posted on: 27 August 2004 by Martin D
Posted on: 27 August 2004 by jayd
Danny Gatton! Yes! I completely forgot. What a frickin' virtuoso. I always meant to pick up "Cruisin' Deuces", which is the only album of his that I've ever heard.
I've honestly never heard Albert Lee. One of those "I should look into his stuff" artists that I never got around to. (I think in my head I always confused him with Alvin Lee from 10 Years After.)
I have some Chet, but only pretty late albums (including the Knopfler collaboration). Tommy Emmanuel is a new name to me - I'll look him up.
Thanks!
Posted on: 30 August 2004 by Stan
Tommy Emmanuel is an Australian guitarist who is absolutely great. I would not put him in the chicken pickin' category though. He is capable of playing all styles (electric and acoustic).
If twang and telecasters are what you are looking for then try 'The Hellecasters', consisting of incredibly gifted musicians Jerry Donahue, John Jorgenson, and Will Ray. It is quite rocky with influences of jazz, chickin picking and lots more...
Jerry Donahue's - Telecasting (remastered as Telecasting Recast) is also highly recommeneded.
Stan
Posted on: 30 August 2004 by Stan
Dadgad,
I would have loved to see Jerry Donahue play. Did the monster string bending get to you? Used to play too, now i only try!
Stan
Posted on: 06 September 2004 by Ron The Mon
For some great chickin' pickin', buy all the vinyl from the styles' master: Roy Clark.
Unfortunately, Roy has become viewed as more of a caricature or personality than guitar god. I think "Hee Haw" did a grave disservice to many musicians. Grandpa Jones is another "guitar god" not to be overlooked even though he seemed quite the buffoon on Hee Haw.
The good news is Roy's and Grandpa's records sell dirt cheap on the used market. Some of the music isn't that great, but the guitar playing is always outstanding.
My favorite is The Further Musical Adventures of Roy Clark/Superpicker. He does a version of "Ghost Riders In The Sky" that has four inter-mingling guitar parts and just rips. And "Roy's Guitar Boogie" is pure showmanship of his style. The record is instrumental and chock full of cheesy 70s organ and background vocals (ooooh, aaaaaah) too, so it's a lot of fun.
Be aware that Roy also is a master of several styles of guitar (ie. slide), as well as mandolin, fiddle, and banjo, and singing. So a Roy Clark record may only have one or two beacons of a tele being chickin' picked but they are gems!
I have seen Roy live several times, once front row, and he was amazing. Especially considering the fact that when he plays his big hollow body Gretsch over his fat gut, he can't even see what he's playing!
Ron The Mon,
Needle-Freak
Posted on: 06 September 2004 by jayd
Wow, I never expected Roy Clark's name to come up. I admit to only having heard him on Hee-Haw - although, looking back on it, he was clearly a master, and a multi-instrumentalist master at that. Interesting suggestion. I'll do some research on that one. Thanks!
(I met Roy Clark in the bathroom of a private airfield in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1983. I shook his hand; he had the biggest, stoutest fingers I've ever seen on any human. I've no idea how he can fret a stringed instrument. Nice guy though. When he grinned, his eyes closed, just like on tv.
)
