Junior Brown and the Lovely Tanya Rae
August 24, 2010 No Comments
In 1994 Guitar Player magazine named Junior Brown #1 lap steel player and #2 country artist. It’s hard for me to imagine two things: that he wasn’t so honored again in that magazine in the last 16 years, and that I never heard any of his music until his show at The Bluebird in Bloomington, Indiana last Friday.
Brown performs on the “guit-steel,” a double-necked tele-like solidbody/lap steel hybrid that was custom made for him by guitar maker Michael Stevens in 1985. Here’s a little taste from a show a couple of years ago:
Brown played this solo almost note-for-note at the Bluebird. Check out the lap steel technique of bending notes with the ring finger in back of the slide about a minute and twenty seconds into the clip. I’ve never seen anyone do that before. I also love the quote of the jazz standard “Four” (usually attributed to Miles Davis but actually written by Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson) at the end of this clip. Brown’s slightly hokey old-time country is enlivened by his infusion of surf guitar, blues, and jazz throughout his set.
I ran into someone outside the Video Saloon across the street who said he hadn’t attended the show because he considers Brown to be a novelty act. Perhaps, but I wonder how often I would have to see him before the novelty wore off.
Brown was accompanied by the ultra-precise rhythm guitar playing of his wife, Tanya Rae, and a phenomenal rhythm section, Johnny Penner on bass and Pete Amaral on snare drum and tiny cymbal. Penner for the most part lays down a steady foundation of roots and fifths, but occasionally dazzles with a sudden, brief, and extremely tasteful display of virtuosity, never losing his big kid’s grin. Amaral can get more sound out of the two percussion instruments he uses than many drummers can get out of a huge kit.
It looks like they are at the Continental Club in Austin, TX at 6:30 p.m. most Sundays. Do yourself a favor and check out the show if you are in the area, or check the show listings on juniorbrown.com for other dates and locations. You can listen to more tunes on Brown’s MySpace page.
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