Buck Reid - how has he got to such a standard?

[Ken Byng]

Well Buck certainly made a lot of friends in Dublin. His second day's performance in particular was just astonishing for the technical level that he has achieved.

He started young and had his steel player dad as a mentor from a young age. However, I just can't stop thinking - how on earth has he got to such a level of technical expertise? I have even seen one of the fastest steel players ever - Doug Jernigan - sitting in the hall at Dallas and laughing with incredulity at some of the up tempo stuff that Buck was knocking out and applauding with real enthusiasm. I know that Buck has worked really hard to get where he has, but so too have hundreds of other players. His ballad playing is simply beautiful, and his C6 work is incredible. He has to be the best steel guitar technician currently active in the live music arena. He is a pick blocker extraordinaire!!!

http://www.buckreid.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/AlabamaJubilee.mp3 This link will stay active for a period to make my point.

His proudest achievement? Getting a hand written letter from his friend Lloyd Green commending him on his playing and his album.

[Zebedee]

Nearly all virtuoso musicians start at a very young age, thus the neurons in their developing brains are hardwired in a different way (by the time that they are adult) to the brains of players who didn't start until they were already adult.

[Barry F]

No hope for me then!

[Ken Byng]

No hope for me then!

For any of us Barry. I sat a couple of feet from Buck at his house last April, and still couldn't figure out what he was doing and I've been at it for over 40 years. He is so far more advanced than any of us. We all play to a certain level, and he plays in a different stratosphere. He is doing some gigs with Emmylou Harris shortly, and she will be astonished when she hears some of his work. Especially how in-tune he plays.