Jimmy Day, just playing the melodies!

[Danny Mitchell]

I think this album's backing might've been reused from one of those Jim Reeves, Chet Atkins productions, it's certainly got that, smooth, sixties, Nashville sound. With Jimmy Day replacing the melody. Is the volume pedal control really excellent? It sounds it to me.



A great example of just, 'play the f÷%#€*g tune!'

[Uncle Roy]

Lovely stuff Danny.

[Ken Byng]

Loads of bars slants going on in there, and so accurate. That was the first steel album I bought many years ago.

The Jimmy Day setup on E9 pedal steel was the Betamax of the day, as opposed to Buddy Emmons' VHS. The Emmons set up has finally won the biggest majority these days, especially in the USA. When I look through the Winnie Winston book, a lot of the legendary players had the Day set-up on their guitars. Thanks to Eric Snowball, and to Gordon Huntley, the Day set-up in the is still very widely used among older pedallers in the UK, but the newer, younger guys are predominantly Emmons.

Jimmy Day was such a smooth player, and I hear much of Buddy Emmons ballad playing in this album. Buddy was so much more fluid on the C6 neck, but Jimmy was no slouch at playing swing style on C6. Anyone who likes Jimmy's work on this album, would do well to get a copy of All Those Years, from the 1970's. The art of using the volume pedal has been lost compared to those days. The big 3, Emmons, Day and Chalker all had exemplary use of the volume pedal.

[Danny Mitchell]

I like the betamax, vhs analogy, Ken, and I'll be checking out All Those Years. Sorry to say I haven't heard much of Jimmy Day.

[Ken Byng]

.............. and I'll be checking out All Those Years. Sorry to say I haven't heard much of Jimmy Day.

[Danny Mitchell]

Tremendous, Ken. Thanks for that. I'm now officially a Jimmy Day fan. Some of the moves on there are truly amazing, I loved that climb on the last go round of City Lights, and the liner notes from Buddy Emmons are well worth a read, too.
I'll take the liberty of giving this it's own post, in case anyone misses it here.

[Ken Byng]

All Those Years is a favourite of Tommy White's. Jimmy Day recorded that album using a Sho~Bud Pro 111 Custom, a Sho~Bud volume pedal and a Webb 614E amp with a JBL 15" speaker inside. Just some useless information.

[Danny Mitchell]

Ken, useless information greatly appreciated.

[dessa]

One word…..sublime. Lesson on what not to play….class

[Ken Byng]

One word…..sublime. Lesson on what not to play….class

Fully agree Derek. I love the story of Jimmy standing with a bunch of steel players at a steel guitar show watching a guy whizzing up and down the strings at 100 mph. He said "I wish I could play that fast, and then I wouldn't". He played with more soul than just about anyone in the history of the instrument.