Sunday 5th February: Jim Bennett on Ne1fm 1pm – 3pm.
Wednesday 8th February: Drive Time show on Radio Teesdale 6pm
Wednesday 8th February: Paddy McDee show on BBC Radio Newcastle 10pm

We must go and iron our shirts! Hope some of you can tune in!

Also listen out for tracks on Gary Hogg’s Geordie Hour Radio Tyneside and Radio Northumberland!

As a guitarist (and self-confessed ‘Shads’ fan) himself, Malcolm understood the difficulties experienced by players of all ages when they reach the dreaded ‘plateau’: the point where no amount of practise seems to improve our playing! He spotted a niche market and worked hard to develop it and make it a success. Employing tutors from around the UK, he sought to gather groups of players together in his lovely home in the Lake District and provide first class tuition and advice over a weekend of great food (thanks Lesley!), good company, first class hospitality and the odd libation!

I was lucky enough to be his Country Guitar tutor for about ten years, teaching on both the Country 1 and Country 2 Guitar Weekends, and remember those times fondly. I left, not for better things, but to do more playing and less teaching. Whilst working for Malcolm I met many players from all over the UK and farther afield. Some are now friends! I hope that Malcolm will distribute this via his considerable media communications network and say a big thanks to all.

There were some remarkable times at the Beckfoot Guitar Weekends, with appearances by players like Albert Lee, Tommy Emmanuel and many more. I will never forget the day that I was helping a student learn the intro to ‘Country Boy’ and Albert walked into the room! The Saturday night jams were something to behold also. Singers, players and anyone who could do anything at all packed into Malcolm’s front room to share music with each other. Great!

So Malcolm thanks for the chance to meet so many great folk. Not just the legends but the ordinary people that we were hopefully able to help regain enthusiasm or confidence to move on from where they were. I know that Gary Dunn and Rod Sinclair will join with me in wishing you all the best in your semi-retirement. Enjoy it mate, you have earned it! (Jim Hornsby, December 2011)

The album will be officially released on Monday 6th February 2012.

Al Perkins had originally agreed to record one track, ‘Memphis Moon’, to be produced by Dave Maughan at his studio in the West End, subject to checking the lyrics. (Al is a deeply religious man and understandably wanted to be sure that there was nothing offensive or inappropriate in our song.)

We were more than a little curious to see what gear Al would bring to the session. It turned out to be a vintage Fender Champ lap steel (or lap guitar), a pedal steel guitar and a Risson amplifier. Risson Amplifiers is a small US company whose combo amplifiers are highly regarded and sought after. Al Perkins’ pedal steel guitar had been purchased second had from Eric Snowball’s shop (we think).

There were lessons to be learned already. Nothing too fancy, an old lap steel guitar, second hand pedal steel and a small valve combo. What Al Perkins recorded with them was simply remarkable.

‘Memphis Moon’ is of Jim’s songs and includes the line ‘Check out some old slide guitar in a darkened room’. That was what we were about to do! Al Perkins music just ‘took our breath away’; a beautiful lap steel guitar part, reminiscent of Santo and Johnny in places, great taste and tone but never intrusive. The interplay with Danny’s Fender Strat part was perfect. Listening back, it is sometimes hard to tell who is doing what!

That’s the key, musicianship learned during the countless Al Perkins recording sessions. Playing for the song, respect for the other players on the tracks, understated but ready and well able to step into the spotlight when required. That Al Perkins gave us the same respect and showed us the same courtesy as had The Eagles, Stephen Stills, Gram Parsons and too many more to mention was a revelation and humbling experience for us.

You can only imagine our delight when, shortly after hearing the playback, Al Perkins asked “You got anything else?’ What followed was the first of two pedal steel guitar overdubs.

The song ‘Rules Of Life’ had Al playing the finest Nashville style pedal steel, leaving gaps for the lyrics then decorating the chorus with beautiful harmonics. Jim used to play pedal steel and knows just how hard it is. There was no doubt that we were listening to a master at work.

“You got anything else?” came through the monitors again. “Sure”, we replied and Danny’s tune ‘The Heel’ was cued up. Al coasted through this bluegrass workout with ease, adding harmonics and short lines, always leaving room for the melody. Then a blistering section which had us laughing with joy in the control room.

Last up was the song ‘Catch Your Death’ for which Al Perkins switched back to his Fender lap steel guitar. He listened through and on the second listen added a simple slide motif, which is remarkable in that it only appears eight times in a song that lasts 5 minutes and 28 seconds. Al then added a slightly distorted steel guitar section to a three-instrument solo (12-string Rickenbacker, Telecaster and steel taking 8 bars in turn). It was perfect! We were in ‘Hillbilly Heaven’. Al Perkins and Dave Maughan had a system going! The only things added were a little ‘dirt’ which Al added on his Risson amplifier and a small amount of reverb.

And that was it! The session was over. The great Al Perkins had paid us the ultimate compliment and played on our record! “You got anything else?” Anytime!

Mostly recorded at ‘The Church’ studio in London (where Bob Dylan famously recorded with Dave Stewart) my Dobro part was overdubbed at First Avenue in Heaton. I had recorded the demo as a favour to Alex several months ago. True to his word, when it came to the actual recording he came back for me! The engineer at First Avenue did a great job and got a great Dobro sound. Producer Tristan knew what he wanted and off we went!

I used to teach Alex guitar when he was a “bairn” and its great to see him doing well! A mention also for dad Mick on bass guitar. Mick is a stalwart of the Northern music scene as well as a P.A. guru. Keep it real lads.

But a ukulele: small, cheap, only four soft-touch strings to negotiate! No wonder people like them. It’s a bit like the mandolin craze of the early part of the last century. Mandolin orchestras were everywhere, mandolins in all shapes and sizes. Some are now worth a fortune.

One instrument that could be in for resurgence is the lap steel guitar or Hawaiian guitar. Essentially it is a piece of wood with strings on, tuned to an open chord, with the 4 and 5 chords at the 5th and 7th frets respectively. The left hand frets notes with a bar or slide while the right hand picks out clusters or individual notes from the chords. Easy? Well not really! Pitching is tricky as the fret markings are just a guide and the player looks at the left hand from an angle. There is nothing worse than a badly played slide instrument!

The lap steel guitar features in a wide variety of music styles such as Blues, Country and Bluegrass. It even shows up in Dave Gilmour’s music from time to time. We love Western Swing and the whole Bob Wills and Hank Williams style of playing, coloured very heavily by the lap steel guitars of players like Leon McAuliffe (“take it away Leon”), Noel Boggs and Jerry Byrd.

“The Salter’s Road”, the new CD from Diesel Therapy has some nice examples of slide playing in its various forms. Danny’s instrumental “Web Of White Stones” has Jim playing Dobro, taking over the melody from Danny’s fine acoustic playing. “Catch Your Death” has Al Perkins on lap steel guitar. Check out his growling, slightly distorted solo and perfect fills used sparingly to underpin the lyrics. The title track features Jim on Weissenborn and Danny on Danelectro baritone guitar; a combination that is irresistible! “Memphis Moon” lets us hear Al Perkins at his best, playing lap steel guitar in an almost ‘50s style, Santo and Johnny’s “Sleepwalk” springs to mind. There is much more on the CD than just slide and lap steel guitar of course, but if you are a fan or just curious it would be a good place to start.