Zack Wiesinger

It’s Wednesday again, and you people know what that means (YOU PEOPLE?!?!?- Who are you calling “You People?”)… It’s time for the most spun record of the week. And the winner with a close “You Only Live Twice” runner-up is… Alvino Rey and His Orchestra “A Drowsy Old Riff.” I read the back of the album, and learned so many cool things about Alvino. This particular record is a pressing from the 1970’s, but it’s a compilation of recordings from the 1940’s with Alvino Rey at the standard electric guitar as well as his “Console Guitar” (nowadays they are called “pedal steel” guitars). He was one of the first to use an electric guitar prototype pickup that he acquired from The Gibson Company in 1935. I read that he was too humble to make the claim that he played the first electric guitar (everyone thinks it was Les Paul). By 1939, he formed his own big band, and later gained further fame with The Kings Sisters.

What kept me coming back to this record was the best version I have ever heard of “In The Hall of The Mountain King.” (I’ll try to put up an Mp3 to hear later, but I wanted to get this post up today since it is indeed Wednesday). His “console guitar” has such an interesting tone throughout the recordings. At times you think he’s improvising a really odd riff or passage on his standard electric or his console slide guitar, but the horns mimic him verbatim which reveals that it was all brilliantly preconceived. This is highly impressive to me because these call and responses are displayed so naturally that they feel improvised. His orchestra is so tight and well-rehearsed, and another talent to be noted is the piano player who sprinkles the most dexterous little ear candy through the entire album in the most tastefully skilled manner.

I learned about Alvino Rey through hearing a record I obtained a few years ago called “Other Worlds Other Sounds” by Esquivel. I did research to find out who the steel guitar player was, and since I latched onto his name, I have been finding Alvino Rey records all across the country as I travel and play shows and visit record shops in between. I only paid 3 bucks for “A Drowsy Riff” of a gem! I hope you find yourself a copy to enjoy over the weekend! 

Tell me what you have been into this week! Leave a comment! (it’s free and environmentally friendly- or just mentally friendly!)

  -Zack-