Jimmy Bryant Tele Swing

[kenposurf]

Peewee asked for a JB thread and I could not agree more. Jimmy Bryant's style was unique to 50's players and his work with Speedy his steel guitarist is the stuff of legends. Jimmy's playing influenced many a Tele twanger including Danny Gatton and Albert Lee.

[peewee]

Love this stuff! There are so many of these types of guys who could just flat out play and really had a lot of fun while doing it as is evidenced in this clip.

Speaking of Jimmy's influence, believe it or not, Charlie Baty of Little Charlie & The Nightcats is a huge Jimmy Bryant fan. After catching him one night in Baltimore we started talking about Jazz players and I said to him, "I hear a lot of Jimmy Bryant in your Jazz playing. I love that stuff!". His face lit up and he practically yelled, "Man, you're dead on! He's my #1 Jazz influence. It's great to know that someone can pick it out in my playing!"

Thanks, G!

[leftybass]

Oh MAAAN....

Some of the best stuff ever recorded IMO. If you've never listened to the LP 'Stratosphere Boogie', GET IT.....what a cool record. Named after the first electric 12-string, the 'Stratosphere'...Jimmy Bryant uses a funky alternate tuning on the track. The rest of the record just smokes.

Anything that Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West did is awesome.

[peewee]

Totally agree with John! I had that disc and it's sooooooooo good that it somehow left my house and I haven't seen it since

I also have Swingin' on the Strings which is pretty stellar as well. You can't go wrong with any of the Speedy/Jimmy recordings, IMHO.

Another guy that I really dig in that vein is Jimmy Rivers - killer Western Swing guitarist! My favorite has to be Junior Barnard with the Texas Playboys, though. One of the first cats - if not the first - to go stereo by wiring his Epiphone so that each pup went to a separate amp and got some of the nastiest tube distortion you'd ever want to hear. His work with Wills during the '40s was well before the Rock&Roll craze and his gutbucket style of Blues playing still makes the short hairs on the back of my neck stand up - the "Fat Boy" rocks!

[winston]

He plays so effortlessly. Great chops and good stuff too. I like it.

[kenposurf]

As some may know...I am a record hound. As I was going through my latest box of vinyl I found a beautiful 45 of Jimmy Bryant w/Speedy on the Big J label...Ha-So'/Tobacco Worm. Released in 1962 it is a holy grail piece. The only other copy I've heard of belongs to Rockabilly monster Deke Dickerson. Now on ebay...I'm hoping to do well with this one...had to tell somebody

[jingle_jangle]

Ya coulda told me...

[kenposurf]

I told ya about another item..have you read your email

[admin]

George: I love this clip for its tone and Jimmy's playing. Thanks for posting it.