HotandSweet

TheroleoftheHawaiiansteelguitarinthe

emergenceofwesternswing

ApresentationbyGuyCundell,MPhil,BMus(Hons),GDipEd

36thAnnualInternationalConferenceofCountryMusicBelmontUniversity,Nashville,June1,2018

https://www.internationalcountrymusic.org

Abstract:

Althoughtheoriginsofthesteelguitarareirrefutable,historianshavebeenloathtoattributemuchoftheartofwesternswingsteelguitartoHawaiianinfluences.FirstappliedtotheinceptivestylingswithwhichBobDunncementedthepositionoftheinstrumentinthewesternswingensemblein1935,thisprejudicedoesnotsurviveacloseexaminationoftheevolutionofsteelguitarstyleinthe1930s.ThispaperwillshowhowprominentsteelguitaristsoftheSouthWestdrewoninnovationsandstylingsfromadynamicHawaiianmusicscenethatwasevolvingsimultaneously.

Goodmorning.IamverypleasedtobehereandwouldliketothankJamesAkensonandDonCusicforgivingmetheopportunitytospeak.IamalsogratefulforthesupportoftheUniversityofAdelaide,myfaculty,theElderConservatoriumofMusicingettingmehere.MyaddresstodayconcernstheinfluenceofthetraditionofHawaiiansteelguitaronsouthwesternsteelguitaristsaswesternswingtookshapeinthe1930s.Thecontentisdrawnfrommycurrentresearchprojectandisinformedbymymaster’sthesis.Sweetandhotreferstoanumberofthings;thetwoextremesoftheswingeraascharacterisedbythesweetarrangementsofGuyLombardoononehandandthehotjazzofGoodmanandEllingtonontheother.Thisrangeismirroredinthediverserepertoireofwesternswingandagain,inHawaiianmusicofthe1920sand30swheresweetevocativetunescontrastwithhothapahaolenumbers.Andcrucially,itisapplicabletotheexpressiverangeofthesteelguitar,arangethathasbeenexploitedbyplayersthroughouttheinstrument’shistory.Inanutshell,IarguethatHawaiianinfluences,thathavepreviouslyreceivedlittlerecognition,rundeepwithinthestylesofthewesternswingsteelersinthe1930s.Itisnotmyintentiontomakeadefinitivestatementontheinfluencesofearlysteelers,butmerelytoopenadiscussionthatadmitsawiderrangeofpossibilitiesthanhassofarbeencanvassed.Thispaperhastwodistinctsections.InthefirstIwillexaminethemusicofBobDunn,thefatherofwesternswingsteelguitarandtheleaderofagenerationofsouthwesternplayers.IwanttobringtoyourattentionwhatseemstobeanoverlookedaspectofDunn’slegacy,andthatistheextenttowhichDunnwasinfluencedbyhisHawaiianpeers.Inshort,Dunnisamissinglinkthathelpsustounderstandthesecondpartofmyargumenttoday-whichconcernsthesubsequentgenerationofsouthwesternplayersandhowtheevolvingHawaiianmusicsceneprovidedmodelsthatwereadoptedbysteelersaswesternswingmatured.

Itbeginsinlate1934withDunn,thefirstwesternswingsteelerand,asKevinCoffeyputsit,acolossusofthesteelguitar.Asapathfinder,Dunnbothinitiatedamplificationincountrymusicandpositionedthesteelguitaratthefrontoftheemergingwesternswingensemble,aprominencethattheinstrumentwouldmaintainincountrymusicformanydecades.UsingaVolu-Tonepickupattachedtohisacousticguitar,DunnwasanintegralpartofMiltonBrown’seffortstomodernizethesoundofhisensembletheBrownies.Heinjectedjazzflavouredsolosintotheband’sdancemusicthatturnedheadsalloverthesouthwest.Neverbeforehadasteelguitarsufficientvolumetoadvancetoadanceband’sfrontlineandtheoverdrivensoundofhisamplifiedsteelwasarevelation.

OahuPublishingCo.catalogue,1935

OahuPublishingCo.catalogue,1935

Let’shearanexamplefromhisfirstsessionwiththeBrowniesinJan1935.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-1-icmc-2018

Dunnisviewedintheliteratureasanexceptionalistwhobrokethemoldbytransformingthesteelguitarfromaninstrumentofsweetdiatonictraditionintoahard-edgedbandinstrument,drawinginfluencesfromjazzwindplayersand,particularly,trombonists.However,adetailedexaminationofDunn’srecordingsrevealsnotjustasoloist,butanadaptablesidemanwhowasabletofilldisparateroles.WhileDunn’shotsoloshavegrabbedattention,hisplayingacrosstheBrownies’catalogue,andrecordingsofmanyothers,isbothsweetandhot.Asmuchanaccompanistassoloist,Dunnmatchesmusicalaffectationtotherequirementsofeachsong.Withtechnicalmastery,heevincesthewiderangeofexpressionofwhichtheinstrumentiscapable,alwaysintheserviceofthemusic.Let’sreturn,foramoment,tothecommonperceptionofDunn’sstyleandhowitevolved.ThefirstscholarlyscrutinyofDunn,inBillMalone’sCountryMusicUSAhasbeenextraordinarilyinfluential.InformedbyaninterviewthatheconductedwithDunnin1966,Maloneadvancedajazzwindinstrumentanalogy,declaringthatDunnplayedthesteelguitarlikeahornandconcludedthathehadmovedtheinstrument“dramaticallyawayfromthechordedHawaiianstyle”.Insubsequentcommentary,thischaracterizationbecamethenormwithfewreferencestootherinfluencesanywhere.TheportrayalbecameevenmoreentrenchedfollowingCaryGinell’s1994book,MiltonBrownandtheFoundingofWesternSwing,whereDunn’scontemporary,RedVarner,advancedhisprivatetheorythatDunn’strombonetechniquehadinfluencedhissteelplaying.ThetrombonetheorywaspromotedbyGinellandothersandisnowderigueur.Asasteelplayerwithsometromboneexperience,IwasskepticalwhenIfirstreadtheseclaimsbutitisnoeasytasktoassaymusicalinfluencesintheabsenceofwordfromthesubject.FortunatelyDunn’swordisavailableintheformofhandwrittennotesofMalone’sinterviewwithDunninwhichappearcommentsthatdidn’tmakeittothebook.ThreepagesofninearedevotedtoDunn’sseminalinfluences.DunnfirstmentionsanadmirationofSolHo’opi’i,themostprominentofHawaiiansteelguitarists,knownbothforhissweetHawaiianstylingsandhotjazzsolos.MentionisthenmadeofFrankFerera,earlyHawaiiansteelguitarheroandthemostrecordedofthefirstgenerationofplayers.DunnrecalledlearningatleasttwoofFerera’stunesfromrecordings.Furthermore,DunndeclaredthathisjazztechniquehadbeendevelopedbyplayingdemandingHawaiianmarches,tunesthatInotewereoftenlacedwithragtimerhythmsinearlyrecordings.

OneofMalone’ssalientobservationswasthatDunnmaintainedalifelongcampaigntomakethesteelguitarajazzinstrumentor,inDunn’swords,a‘modern’instrument.Judgingfromthenotes,thejazzemphasisisMalone’s.HisnotesrecordthatDunnwantedtomakesteelguitarpartofmodernmusic,atermthatcouldapplytotheentirerangeoftheBrowniesdance-orientedrepertoire,fromhottosweet.AsignificantnotethatfollowsrecordsDunn’sadmirationforBobPano’eleoftheduoJimandBob,theGenialHawaiianswhobroadcastforyearsfromChicago’sWENR.DunnstatesthatPano’elewasthefirstrealHawaiiansteelguitaristthatheadmiredandthatheplayed“modern”.OnlytwelverecordingsofJimandBobareknowntoexist,madein1933.Ihavechosentwoexcerptstoheartoday.Thefirstisasolofrom‘BytheWatersofMinnetonka’thatdemonstratesPano’ele’srhythmicsophisticationinajazzvein.PlayedonanacousticNationalTricone,Pano’eleemploysboldsyncopatedphrasesandstaccatoarticulation,equivalentsofwhichcanbeidentifiedthroughoutDunn’shotsolos.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-2

Asecondexample,thefinalchorusof‘SongoftheRange,’representsahighpointofsteelguitarexpressionintheacousticera.OnecanseehowDunncouldhavebeeninspiredthefluidity,inventionandsuperbtechniqueofthispiece,whichisdeeplyimpressiveevenbycontemporarystandards.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-3

ItisinstructivetocomparethelasttwoexampleswithoneofDunn’smorelyricalsolosfromhis1935sessionwiththeBrownies.Whilethecontextisentirelydifferent,thereareglimpsesofPano’ele’smodernstyleevidentintherhythmiccontrolandsmoothtransitionbetweendifferingnotesubdivisions.

https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-4

Insummary,thecharacterizationofDunn’sstyleasonelargelyderivedfromjazzhornplayersisinadequate.Dunnwasawell-schooledHawaiiansteelguitarplayerwhohaddevelopedextensivetechniqueoveraprofessionalcareerthathadbegunin1927.Thereisnoquestionthatheabsorbedjazzinfluencesbut,givenhiscommentstoMalone,itisevidentthattheywerederived,atleastinpart,fromthestylingsofHawaiiansteelplayers.Asforthetrombonetechniquetheory,inhisinterviewwithMaloneDunnstatedthathebeganplayingtrombonein1934.Mystudyof170recordingsacrossDunn’s15yearrecordingcareerrevealsthathisstylewasmaturewhenhebeganwithBrowninJanuary1935providinghimwithscantopportunitytoabsorbtrombonetechnique.Imustconclude,therefore,thatthepropositionhasnomeritwhatsoever.ThroughtheBrowniessuccessinthesouthwest,Dunn’sinfluencewasimmense.Bandleadersscrambledtofindplayerswhocouldemulatehisstyleandmanyansweredthecall.PlayersmimickedthehotelementsofhisstylebutDunnhadsetthebarhigh.Somepersistedwithflawedimitationswhileothersbegantodeveloptheirownindividualstyles.

ButitshouldbenotedthatwhenDunnauditionedforBrowninlate1934,itwasonanacousticinstrument.SothematurestyledisplayedinrecordingsofJanuary1935,despiteamplification,hadbeendevelopedacoustically.Evenhisfamouscomposition‘TakingOff’hadbeencomposedonacoustic.EmployingtheHighAtuningfavouredbyHawaiianssincethelate1920s,Dunn’ssyncopatedphrasingandstaccato-dominatedarticulationreferredbacktothesteelplayersoftheacousticera.Sothosewhosoughttoemulatehimwerealsounwittinglylookingbackwards.Butanewdirectionwastocomefromthosewholearnedtoharnesstheadvantagesofamplification.TwonotableDunndisciples,NoelBoggsandLeonMcAuliffe,wentontonationalfame.Initially,bothweregreatlyinfluencedbyDunnbuttheyevolvedverydifferentstylesthateclipsedthatoftheirmentor.Boggs’musicaltransformationishidden.AfterhisDunn-flavouredsessionswithHankPennyin1939,hepassesoutofoursightforfiveyears,playingwithJimmyWakelyandhisownensembleinOklahoma.HereemergedonrecordingswithBobWillsin1945torevealanewhighlydevelopedstyle.IhavebeenunsuccessfulinasearchforanyofhisrecordingsintheinterimbutIbelievetheycouldtellafascinatingstory.Incontrast,LeonMcAuliffe’smetamorphosisisdocumentedinrecordingswithWillsinthelate1930sandearly1940s.McAuliffehadidolizedDunnandwasencouragedbyhim.DunnallowedhimtositinforhimonoccasionandpromotedhimtoWills.McAuliffe’searlystylewasclearlymodeledonthatofhishero.

Inthisexamplefrom1937,‘WhiteHeat’,McAuliffeevokestheenergyandforwardmotionofDunn’shotmonophonicsolos.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-5

Inthisnextexamplefrom1938,McAuliffeagainmimicsDunnusingDunn’sAmajortuning.HisstaccatophrasingandsomeofhisrhythmicmotifsarestraightfromtheDunnplaybook.AttimesheencounterssomeofthesameproblemsofmaintainingfluencyatabrisktempothatDunnhadexperiencedwithBrown.

http://picosong.com/wcMsd

Atsomepoint,betweentherecordingofthepreviousexampleinNovember1938andthedateofthenextexampleIwillplay,April1940,achangebegantoengulfMcAuliffe’sstyle.Itwasasifhehadcometoarealizationthathotimprovisationswerenotimperative.Perhapsthiswasalessonlearntfromthesuccessof‘SteelGuitarRag’inwhichthesteelguitar’sroleispurelyoneofmelodyandimprovisationsarelefttootherinstruments.However,subtlebutunmistakableparallelscanbeobservedbetweenMcAuliffe’semergingstyleandtheHawaiiansteelguitarsoundthathadbeendevelopinginthe1930swheretheelectricsteelhadalsobeenwidelyadopted.Inthisscene,thesteelwasnolessprominentthaninwesternswingbutitplayedadifferentrole.AtypicalHawaiiansongformatoftheerasawthemelodyfirstpresentedbysteelguitar,whichwasthenfollowedbyavocalrendition.Therichnessofthesoundofsteelguitarmelodywasparamount.TheHawaiiansexploitedthesustaininherentinamplificationwithharmonisedlegatomelodiesoffulltoneandevocativeinflection.Improvisations,thoughstillasignificantingredient,tookabackseatasrichsonoritieswereenhancedbynewmorecomplextunings.Asanexample,herearethefirstfewbarsofPauRoseplayedbyDavidKeli’i.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-7

In1940,anemphasisonsoundalsobecomesdiscernableinMcAuliffe’sperformances.In‘TheLoneStarRag’,McAuliffeemploysaC#mtuning,aHawaiianinventionofthemid1930s.Theimpressionisthatofacarefullycomposedsoloasanalternativetotheriskyimprovisationsofearlieryears.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-8

BeforeIlookedcloselyintoMcAuliffe’stransformationIsurmisedthatitmighthavetakenplaceafterthePlayboysbegantheirregularvisitstotheWestCoast.IthoughtthechangemayhaveoccurredwhileMcAuliffewasinLA,thecrucibleofHawaiianstylesfromwhichJoaquinMurpheywassoontoemerge,butno.Thisallhappenedinthesouthwest.Withoutevidence,wecansurmisethatMcAuliffe’ssourceswererecordingsandradiobroadcastsofHawaiianmusicbutgivenhisuseofHawaiiantunings,itwouldseemthathiseffortswereconsideredratherthanjustshallowmimicry.Thenextexample,from1941,demonstrateswhatappearstobeimprovisationthatreliesonthemoreconservativedeviceofparaphraseratherthanDunn’spreferredmethodofabstractorharmonicimprovisation.Itisamuchlessriskyendeavorthatallowstheplayertoconcentrateonsoundandarticulation,anadvantagethatMcAuliffeusestogoodeffect.Swinginghard,thepredominately

legatoarticulationcontrastswithDunn’sstaccatoapproachresultinginasmoothandrelaxedlineofgreatforce.ThetuningMcAuliffeemployshereisA6,aHawaiianinnovationofthelate1930s.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-9

ThefinalexampleIhaveisofMcAuliffefullyimmersedinhisnewstylein1942.Whetherthissoloiscomposedorimprovisedismootbutitsorganizationandunhurriednaturesuggesttheformer.Hereheemploysthetwotuningsofhisdoubleneckinstrumenthoppingseamlesslybetweennecksmid-phraseascanbeseenattheendofthefirstsystem.Youcanhearaslightdiscrepancyinvolumeastheswitchismade.ThisistheearliestinstanceofthistechniquethatIhavedocumented.Healsoutilizestheemergingelectronictechniqueof‘boo-

wah’,themanipulationofthetonecontroloftheguitar,andemploysavolumepedaltoremovetheattackfromcertainnotes,atechniquecommoninHawaiianmusicofthelate1930s.https://soundcloud.com/guy-cundell/ex-10

So,insummaryIwouldsaythattoastudentofthesteelguitar,thewesternswingeraiscrucialandtheinfluenceofitsplayershasbeenbothfar-reachingandenduring.AsascholaroftheinstrumentIbelieveitisvitalthatthestyleoftheearlyplayersisappraisedwithinthebroadersweepoftheevolutionoftheinstrument.Itiscleartomethatattheepicenteroftheemergenceofwesternswing,Hawaiiantechniquesandaestheticswerenotabandonedbysteelguitarplayers,butinsteadformedanintegralpartofthenewstyle.Thatinfluencesflowedsofreelybetweengenresandscenesisnotgreatlysurprising.Norisitsurprisingthatthecloseroneinspectsamusicalculture,thegreateristhecomplexitythatemergesfromthedetail.Iamgratefulforhavingtheopportunitytoconductthisresearchanditismypleasuretosharetheseearlyfindings.Thankyou.

Bibliography

Cundell,Guy.'AcrossthePacific:TheTransformationoftheSteelGuitarfrom

HawaiianFolkInstrumenttoPopularMusicMainstay'.UniversityofAdelaide,2014.

Ginell,Cary.MiltonBrownandtheFoundingofWesternSwing.Urbana:UniversityofIllinoisPress,1994.

Malone,BillC.‘NotesofInterviewwithBobDunn’.unpublished,1966.Malone,BillC.,andJocelynNeal.CountryMusic,USA.1968.Austin:Universityof

TexasPress,2010.Stanley,HarryG.OahuPublishingCo.Catalogue19.RockyRiver,Ohio:Oahu

PublishingCo,1935.