I promise this will be the last post on resonator and slide guitar music for awhile. But I felt the need to give you some jazz tunes played on resonator guitars or electric guitar with slide after the previous post which covered jazz on lap steel dobro.
Tuba Skinny
Tuba Skinny is a New Orleans jazz band that has been around for years but only recently opened their own social media account on youtube. Do a search and you’ll find many videos of the band uploaded to youtube by fans. The band plays traditional jazz, often obscure pieces not heard in years. They mostly perform by busking on the streets of New Orleans but the Covid-19 restrictions has them performing indoors without a live audience.
Among the unique features, relevant to this post, is they have two guitarists, both of whom are playing resonator guitars. This is in addition to a banjo player. The lineup isn’t always the same but the video below is a two and a half-hour concert. Sample it or watch the whole thing.
Gypsy Jazz? at Mule HQ
First of all, who or what is a Mule? In this case, it is Mule Resophonic Guitars. If you haven’t seen their instruments and you like resonator guitars, take a look. They make some interesting guitars.
In the video, it appears that Joey Landreth and Seth Lee Jones are just noodling around on resonator guitars at the Mule factory. Definitely some gypsy jazz licks come out of the improvisation.
Derek Trucks
I can’t find many examples of jazz standards played on electric guitar with a slide. In fact, the only examples I’ve found are all from a young Derek Trucks and his band. Here’s three of the tunes.
Footprints
Footprints by Wayne Shorter is a classic and one of my favorites. It’s fun to hear it interpreted by a master slide guitarist.
Afro Blue
The Mongo Santamaria tune, Afro Blue, has been covered by many. Here’s Derek Trucks band.
So What
I couldn’t find a live video of Derek Trucks playing this Miles Davis classic so I’ll share the tune from an album.
