The British Steelies Society

Something kicked my mind to Portugal earlier this evening and to this guy.

I can't believe it has been seventeen years ..... but back in 2000 I saw Johnny Hooper at a Glasgow gig, it was a night I will never forget! He moved between the tables playing (as here) with such feeling; the hairs were rising on the back of my neck! He is a master of his instrument in any genre!

That night he played country, soul, pop, jazz and Miller..... all with equal aplomb!

Johnny is from Wales, if you see him around go! he will not disappoint!

As for the steel .........I feel a new 'toon' coming on as JD would say!



If you play with feeling and emotion you can't fail to enjoy this!

In no particular order! David, Derek, Ken, Our John, Dave S, Barry G and so many more who play from the heart! So into you guys!

The guys who play to the book cannot be faulted but for me it has to be from the heart!

Did I just lose some friends again!???

I'm probably wrong Bob, but I always believed that the music should express the feelings of the musician and if precise note for note and rhythm was what was wanted, then leave it to a computer and it would be exactly the same everytime. .

I've just got back home Bob, and have to agree that Mr Hooper plays a mean alto sax. If you want to hear some other wonderful sax playing, one of my all time favourite musicians, Ben Webster, is always well worth a listen. He wrings emotion from every note that he plays on ballads, and has a lovely vibrato which is only matched by Acker Bilk on a wind instrument.

I will take the bait, and get stuck into my studio this week and have a go at Mr McCartney's piece. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a tune running through my head that I think would make a great instrumental, but then go back to sleep and forget which piece I had dreamed about. Getting old is an absolute b d!!

Yip sweet Ken ! It has to be the sexiest instrument after the PSG!!!!!