Chris Kennison and EP Davis produce, and air "Steel Guitar Jam" - the weekly radio show dedicated to the music of the Steel Guitar! Every Thursday morning 6am-7:30 U.S. Mountain time. ON-AIR! and streaming on www.krfcfm.org
Invented in Hawaii in 1880, this unique style of guitar playing came to the Mainland in 1915 at the Pan-Pacific Expo in San Francisco. Using a 'steel' bar to play the strings while the guitar lies flat on your lap is the original Hawaiian style - the name comes from the bar! Using open tunings, Hawaiian musicians were able to play a wide variety of music. This new and intoxicating sound spread around the world as Hawaiian music became the rage in the early 1900's, and with the help of the famous Hawaii Calls radio show, and the facination of young innovative musicians, it wasn't long before it's sound was heard in early country bands, jazz bands, churches, and other genres worldwide. The evolution continued as the Pedal Steel Guitar evolved in the mid-1900's on the Mainland US.
Hawaiian steel was the seed that drove the invention of the Resonator instruments in the 1920's (National, Dobro), gave us the first commercially manufactured electric instruments in the 1930's (Rickenbacker A6, aka 'frypan'), and one of the very few musical instruments invented in the USA - the Pedal Steel Guitar!
The steel guitar in all its forms is showcased every week on KRFC fm 88.9 in Fort Collins , Colorado. Showcasing "All kinds of music, from all over the world, as long as it has Steel Guitar" is our mission. So give us a listen and enjoy the sounds, and learn about this facinating instrument and style of guitar playing.
Both Chris and EP have been playing music for over 40 years each. Chris plays pedal steel and fiddle with Doug Kershaw in Colorado, and other bands along the Frong Range, and he plays the old Hawaiian style with Book 'em Danno Hawaiian Swing band. www.myspace.com/hawaiianswing
EP has played pedal steel for years and toured the world with The Hollywood Rodeo Band, and today plays with High Wide and Handsome out of N. Colorado. He also plays a mean uke too! - http://www.kamaainaep.com/
If you play steel (reso, lap, pedal) and are interested in having your music on the air, please send a copy of your recording to:Steel Guitar Jam, KRFC FM, 619 S. College Ave 4, Fort Collins, CO 80524
