Blue Smoke - Ike Everly or John Travis

Need help? Don't know how to embed youtube videos? Can't listen to mp3's on the forum? Problems browsing the Chetboard? Find the solution here!

Blue Smoke - Ike Everly or John Travis

Postby bill_h » Sat Oct 22, 2016 7:25 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaAqqHreK2Y

Here's a clip of none other than Eddie Pennington playing Blue Smoke. That alone should make this post worthy to be read. Before playing Blue Smoke Eddie explains that the tune is based on a tune Merle's brother John Travis used to play. I've also heard that Ike Everly was the original composer of Blue Smoke.

Since Eddie is no doubt an expert on thumbpicking I'm sure what he's saying is true and the similarities between John "Melvin" Travis' tune and the version of Blue Smoke that Eddie plays on this clip, which is the version that Merle recorded on "The Merle Travis Guitar," or "The Yellow Album" as it's sometimes called, is obvious but come to think of it I can't think of any similarities between John Melvin's tune and the version of Blue Smoke that Merle played which got compiled on the "Walkin' The Strings" cd. ( At least I assume that the "Walkin' The Strings" cd is some sort of compilation but no guarantee that I'm accurate on that.")

So now I'm wondering if Ike Everly was the original composer of Blue Smoke and the version that's on Merle's "walkin' The Strings" cd is based on how Ike played it and the version on the Yellow Album is sort of a hybrid between Ik'es version of Blue Smoke, John Melvin's tune, and of course some of Merle's ideas since he probably seldom if ever played a tune the same way twice.

I welcome anyon'e input on the true history of Blue Smoke. Maybe Eddie himself will share his input with us.
bill_h
 
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 10:35 pm

Return to Support

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests