I didnt know much about Roxette and it was just that day. Greg Leisz is my favorite modern pedal steel player. My wife plays bass with David Crosby. This track has such a sweet groove to it, and Leisz adds just the right ambience to float with it. It was very quick. I overdubbed on that. She was bringing in a lot of guitar players and people she knew to overdub on songs that already had guitars on. When she was making Car Wheels, that was really at the end stages of the record. To me, thats really interesting to do that. I actually went to college for a while and studied geology. It was just basically recorded in a bedroom. I asked her if she had any ideas for the song when we started. When legendary artists head into the studio nowadays, theres a good chance theyll have Leisz play steel on the production. And now hes one of my best friends. lang, Lucinda Williams, Matthew Sweet, Meshell Ndegeocello, Paula Cole, Peter Case, Ray Lamontagne, Robert Plant, Sam Phillips, Sara Watkins, Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow, Susanna Hoffs, The Bangles, The Jayhawks, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tracy Chapman, Whiskeytown, Wilco, and Allen Toussaint. Victoria had already gotten a deal and made a record in New York. ------------------Brad's Page of Steel A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars, Too bad I procrastinated for more than 20 years. It wasnt from the manager or a business person. Actually, Ive been working a lot with Jackson Browne. It was the sound of it. This would encompass all the work he does with T-Bone, and likely the Bon Iver and other indie records he's doing these days. You probably know the history. But I overdubbed. I feel very fortunate we got through the whole year. I didnt really like service jobs. Its pretty interesting. Lovely conversation with this music legend. At sparse moments in the song, his pedal steel playing adds so much emotion to the music. The people that you meet and have a connection with, suddenly theres another connection later on. I tended to gravitate towards jobs where I didnt have to be around a lot of people. Hes the one that knew me. Leisz is no stranger to rock n' roll, and always has the ability to add grit and bite to songs. Theres a picture of me. I spent a lot of hours in country bars learning how to play, but my musical background has always been very wide. The C6 tuning for 6 strings is (beginning with string 1): E C A G E C. Lap steel players have been spelling their tunings from high to low for many years. Playpedalsteel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Ive worked a lot with him. As well as Ryan Adams "Ashes & Fire", he is on a few tracks. That was fascinating since I spent more time with her and got to see more process. They got turned on to the pedal steel somehow and they knew about me. A couple years later, he made another record [Old Sock] and Doyle called me again. Versatile and musically accommodating, Greg shapes up many tracks with his pedal steel playing. T Bone wasnt even there to tell me it was good. your profile | join | preferences | help | search. There was a Judy Collins album called Who Knows Where the Time Goes. They did a lot of interesting stuff with what I played. I basically was just playing music with my friends. The band got signed very quickly because there was already a songwriter that had a couple hit songs. In January 2008, Leisz joined the group Works Progress Administration, a band composed of Leisz, Sean Watkins (guitar), his sister Sara Watkins (fiddle), Glen Phillips (guitar, vocals), Benmont Tench (piano), Luke Bulla (fiddle), Pete Thomas (drums), and Davey Faragher (bass). I never thought of it as a career. She made one record before that, at least. It is always a pleasure to hear Leiszs playing. I guess because of that, Ive been fairly active. Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a "bolt-on push pull"? Tour Gretsch 's Corona, California, custom guitar building operation with company master builder Chad Henrichsen and PG 's own John Bohlinger. What drew you to the pedal steel? A few weeks later, they called me back and I did another song. I really just worked with one of the guys. Playpedalsteel.com also participates in affiliate programs with CJ, PartnerStack, and other sites. Oops, looks like you forgot something. I live in a place thats a good place to hang out during a pandemic since its very close to nature. So the tuning from high (string 1) to low is: E, C, A, F#, E, C). Im fully vaccinated, have been for some time. Doyle said, Hes kind of interested , I met him and he was so immediately just a normal guy. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. I didnt really know what to call it. I saw her on Saturday Night Live. If someone asked me for my phone number, Id gladly give it to them and write it on a piece of paper. Bill Frisell "Good Dog, Happy Man" lotsa Leisz. He said, Im not sure what songs Im going to do. Pedal steel is a great accompanist instrument, but Leisz shows how much a simple sound can add so much depth to a piece of music. "Legends of the Incredible Lap Steel". They were all getting more into roots music. Why was I even there? Its kind of a disappointing thing. I was pedal steel and lap steel and some mandolin. It was pretty terrifying. For the next eighteen years he toured with Lang and recorded with her, including her album Ingenue. Pick up any Matthew Sweet album.. All Lap Steels 2022-2023 Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior Lap Steel Black with Gig Bag! I knew right then it was all up to me. Ron called me and said, I just want you to know I used your pedal steel in this Jeep commercial. She wanted a wah-wah on this guitar part and something atmospheric elsewhere. I really liked working with her. I grew up in a family where I didnt have older brothers or sisters. I was doing Gloria or something. It was just four or five hours. They had the chorus. Fortunately, my mother was musical, even though she sang more opera. This track is beautiful and Leiszs pedal steel comes in almost right away. I'm pretty new to the world of steel but I'm completely captivated by the subtle detail work Greg Leisz does on 'Bon Iver, Bon Iver.'. Leisz has been a top-call session musician in the L.A. area for many years, so its no wonder he got the call to do work on this production with such fantastic artists. How was your experience in Eric Claptons touring band in 2013? greg leisz lap steel tuning | 50827 post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-50827,single-format-standard,theme-capri,qode-core-2.1.1,select-core-2.1.1,woocommerce-no-js,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,capri-ver-3.3, vertical_menu_with_scroll,smooth_scroll,fade_push_text_top,paspartu_enabled,woocommerce_installed,blog_installed,wpb-js . 6.9K views 1 year ago On this Greg Leisz interview, how playing with artists like Dave Alvin, k.d. I love the layering and devotion to the song instead of the instrument. And it came out really good. I said, Oh great. And I had to go, How do you deal with that? But thats another story. On pedals,he plays both necks very well and he told me he's been playing a U-12 Sierra on the Bill Frisell gig.On lap,he plays a number of tunings and seems to come up with nice stuff even if it's a tuning he just made up to suit a certain song.No slouch on standard guitar either.I've been trying to get him on the forum as he's aware his name In 2013 alone, the pedal-steel guitarist played on records by Daft Punk, Eric Clapton, Kris Kristofferson, Glen Hansard, the Beach Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Bragg, John Fogerty, and way too many others to mention here. My friend Brian Blade played drums on it. Gretsch Custom Shop Tour. Mint items are in essentially new original condition but have been opened or played. And it was a cool thing to get to do that. This track features mostly acoustic guitar and vocals, and the pedal steel is so smooth. gretsch. And so she goes through this whole process where she has these hits and she makes another record and it didnt do well, and the label immediately stopped supporting her. Leisz is no stranger to rock n roll, and always has the ability to add grit and bite to songs. I saw that she broke her guitar and David Crosby didnt like it. I just got contacted. His idea was to have her do this thing with Civil Wars where they sang together. And my wife and I spend a lot of time together during the pandemic since were both musicians. No matter who I play with, I try to integrate what Im doing with what Im hearing. But I was playing in garage bands and he was doing folk music. Shes fantastic. Thats another crazy story. mastering by Greg Calbi. She also never really toured again after 1998. Steel guitarist Greg Leisz, who first made his name playing on Americana records from Dave Alvin, Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt, has more recently been playing on progressive-jazz albums. I wish I had been his best friend in high school. Greg's toured or recorded with Dave Alvin . Youre all over the last Daft Punk album. I went in and played a couple of songs with him live in the studio with a full band. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Im very lucky. Some of you may know about Gaby Moreno. Theres nothing like the beautiful sound of harmonized sixths played on the pedal steel tabs that display the major scale harmonized in sixths. I think hed become aware of my playing on a couple of other records, especially this K.D. Thats another crazy story. Tell me about playing on Bruce Springsteens Wrecking Ball. Youre on Youve Got It and We Are Alive. Search I did his whole record last year, which isnt out yet. Greg Leisz: Lap Steel Craig Schumacher: Synth Bass John Convertino: Drums, Thunder Drum Brian Lopez: Backing Vocal 3. But I spent a couple of summers working as a forest ranger in Idaho and fighting fires. Tabs that display the major scale harmonized in sixthsthese pockets or positions on the fretboard are great to utilize when playing. The idea that you were going to have to go to Vietnam and maybe kill people, it wasnt conducive to thinking about being a musician. She had a strong vision. Use these diagrams as a reference tool, or memorization aid for your practice and playing. Part of his universal appeal -- which certainly draws on the experimental nature of those influences -- comes from an open-minded approach to lap and pedal steel, an approach that casts aside Nashville references. Hes help put the pedal steel on the map of countless areas of music that it probably had never been before. They were different sessions and I recorded with her sitting right next to me while I overdubbed. I know. I put it together myself from maybe a few takes. To jump forward here, can you tell me about the formation of the Funky Kings? For any of you that don't have the book from fellow Forumite Andy Volk entitled, http://www.myspace.com/video/lol/robert-plant-alison-krauss-killing-the-blues-with-lyrics/24448189, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxvTTRKvfEU, http://www.laweekly.com/2004-04-08/news/south-of-here/. This is all very helpful. David Murphy (left) photographed by Richie Tyndall. The last plane flight I was on, I went to New York at the beginning of last February. It can help with memorizing note names/positions, locating pockets, learningkey signatures, and more. Tony Berg is a producer Ive worked with quite a bit. Playpedalsteel.com also participates in affiliate programs with CJ, PartnerStack, and other sites. And then I was like, Wow, I can actually play this stuff. And when she was young, she actually sang in a Broadway musical and light opera in the mid-Forties, during the war. She got treated a little rough in the press in the reviews. In a successful session and side-man career that's spanned over 40 years, the diversity of music Greg's played on is pretty incredible. Private Messages Pedal Steel Guitar: Why Its So Hard To Play, Pedal Steel Guitar WEIGHT (Lighter vs. He introduced Jules to Jack and vice versa. I cant really believe it myself. I know youre very close with Jackson Browne. That happens a lot of the time. Theyd stick it in their wallet and maybe theyd lose it, or maybe theyd write it down. It is in near mint condition and comes with a custom deluxe Cedar Creek hardshell case. He has an uncanny ability to always connect with the listeners ears. At first he said, Ill play a solo in the middle, and then you play a solo, and Ill play a solo. Eventually he said, I just want you you to play all the solos. It was amazing for me because I got to be featured. Lang record Ingnue. And Id save money from doing that and come back to California with several thousand dollars, which is a lot of money for fighting fires. My understanding is he uses a '66 bolt-on push/pull for most of his studio work. The sound of the guitars blew my mind. All Rights reserved. Another year went by, and one day I got a text. With good reason -- the man's resum is daunting, boasting spots with Joni Mitchell, Sheryl Crow, Read Full Biography Overview Biography Discography Songs Credits Related Share on facebook twitter tumblr Credits Music wasnt brought to me through older siblings or really through any older kids. But when we got to the song My Woman Got a Black Cat Bone, he featured me in the song the whole way. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. I was like, Thats an unusual thing, to play on two different Albums of the Year two years in a row. Not only that, the year that Daft Punk won, I played at the Grammys. Bob [This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 26 November 2003 at 07:59 AM. I forget if it was directly by James Iha or the management. Playpedalsteel.com is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'playpedalsteel_com-large-leaderboard-1','ezslot_12',176,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-playpedalsteel_com-large-leaderboard-1-0');report this ad, E9 Pedal Steel: Chord Charts for A, B, & E Minor Chords, The 6 Best Ways To Use Compressors: TIPS & Tricks, Pedal Steel on Todays Music Scene: A Hidden Gem, 9 Best Pedal Steel Guitars (That Sound AMAZING). I didnt have one and said Id like to play it. Thats just a huge, huge record. I was basically asked to play all the guitars on the album. Heavier Models), Parts & Hardware (Where to Find, Details, Info), How To Open Up the E9 Tuning (for Pedal Steel), The Chord Guide for E9 Pedal Steel Guitar, The Art of Right Hand Technique (for Steel Guitar), The Elixir of E9 Pedal Steel: Harmonized 6ths, 200 Country Riffs & Licks for E9 Pedal Steel, 7 Best Pedal Steel Albums (That You Must Hear), Backing Tracks (Where To Find, Info, Types), 7 Songs Featuring Greg Leisz On Pedal Steel, Buddy Emmons Characteristics: How They Can Improve your Playing, Recording & Mixing the Pedal Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel: 5 Best Ways to Use a Compressor Pedal, How to Record Pedal Steel (and Capture its ALLURING Sound), C6 Fretboard Diagram Flat & Sharp Notes, Universal Tuning & Copedent for Pedal Steel, Pedal Steel Copedents (Info, Types, Details). Oh, man can Greg play the steel! By that time, I had been in some bands and the bands had broken up. We were both sitting there with acoustic guitars and I play a little on this song. In 2010 and 2011, Leisz toured with Ray LaMontagne as a member of his backing band, The Pariah Dogs. Its got a great honky-tonk sound, and Leisz shows how at home he feels playing pedal steel in a more traditional context too. Not to be pigeonholed in just roots music, Leisz (pronounced "Lees") has also played with the likes of Beck, Matthew Sweet, Bad Religion, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Brian Wilson. I basically grew up inside of that. In 1975, he toured with John Stewart (formerly of The Kingston Trio). You get very disillusioned about that being a possibility, but you still keep doing it. Ive been very fortunate since all my friends and family have remained healthy and fine. Those threads can have a huge impact on your musical journey. He was already famous before he graduated because of the Nico thing. That was fun since I had done all these albums with Dave in the preceding years. The group released their debut album, WPA, on September 15, 2009. Great player all aroundlap, non-pedal, pedal, dobroetc etc Ironically, I used to play a lot of gigs with Greg in the '80s -- I was playing steel and he was playing guitar. Thats another situation where I wasnt involved in the tracking. Some of it is credited and other things arent properly credited since that thing was a mess in the latter stages of that record. This was her second record and she wanted to make a bunch of changes. He was doing a record with her. Its wild. Hed even introduce me in the set. The Robert Plant / Alison Krauss album was another amazing record. This is an invaluable ability for sessions, where the musician often has to hear and learn the music on the spot for the recording. lang, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Cockburn, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, and the Venturesto name a few. He said, Im maybe going to go on tour next year. I ended up working on a few other albums with him. It was like, Maybe we can put this instrument on this one song. I also played some other stuff on a couple other songs, but the songs didnt make the record. (He's a really good guitar player.) With his ability to add texture to the music, and unconventional sonic expressions to the music, his playing feels like putting the final piece into a puzzle. Similar to playing with a slide or playing pedal steel, the lap steel uses a bar that slides across the strings. Lindley's style led me to Greg Leisz, my greatest inspiration. I didnt study music because I didnt think that was a career option for me. Do whatever you want to do.. It was really close in time to after her record came out. They had all these songs and they basically just let me play what I heard. I dont know how else to describe how I feel. He felt it would be too many musicians and that it should be more stripped-down. That was the first time I worked with him. 2007 Asher hand built Teardrop commemorative Weissenborn lap steel, s/n# 308, 1 of 8 hand crafted in this series, solid African mahogany top, back and sides, custom Cedar Creek hardshell case included. Up to an additional 30% off shop-wideEnjoy weekend savings on Fender, Gretsch, and moreShop now, View similar gear from other sellers on Reverb. lang's Grammy-winning Absolute Torch and Twang and joined her on the resulting tour. She did a tour with an orchestra [in 2000], but it was last time she went out and played guitar with a band. She seems sweet. And the Japanese version has a bonus track thats almost a pedal-steel instrumental. On the fall leg, Van Morrison didnt do it. If you think about that era, I was in the mid-Sixties conundrum generation where you had a generation gap and a draft. If youre interested in diving deeper into playing chords and scales on E9 pedal steel, check out these guides, Learn the chords on the E9 neck in a way that makes playing simple and enjoyable. He showed me the song [River Runs Deep] and pulled out an acoustic guitar. Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46, Our mailing address is: Once you start using the low C# tuning on the lap steel, you have completely different instrument than an 8 string tuned to G E C A G E C A. For blues, rock, jazz, and many other styles, using the Mixolydian scale in the form of harmonized sixths can be a great avenue for musical expression. While he was mixing, he had a conversation with her and she said, Theres a song in there called Right in Time. When we recorded it, I wanted to have a 12-string guitar go through the whole song, but they talked me out of it.. Leiszs ability to add whatever a track needs always feels natural and timeless at the same time. Youve recorded and toured a ton together over the years. I met the first great drummers, the first great bass players, the first great musicians I ever played with while I was playing in country bars, rhythm & blues bars, any type of places. Leisz has an amazing ability to generate sounds that the pedal steel isnt usually associated with. And although I've already owned six different lap steels, I have yet to get my Bakelite Rick. One of Bill Frisells favorite musicians to work with, Greg has such a characteristic style of playing and it always shines with Frisell. She was just like, I dont need this anymore.. You can do anything you want. He asked me to come to Chicago and I was there. They made it look like a recording studio onstage. I didnt listen to contemporary music for a long time, probably from around the late Seventies until the late Eighties. I started meeting people that came out of almost the punk era in the Eighties. It has a deep, full body sound, with amazing resonance. John Bohlinger. Let's connect. Help He tried to get a deal as a solo artist and he was told that he should get a band around him. Im pretty proud of that. Playpedalsteel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Facebook 0 Twitter LinkedIn 0 Reddit Tumblr. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time It starts out sounding like a Neil Young song with just an acoustic guitar, but then it has some synths. produced by Lee Townsend recording and mixing engineer: Judy Clapp. Every one of the past 30 years has been that busy in the studio, and hes still found time to tour with the likes of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, K.D. He heard my pedal steel and thought that was something that Joni would embrace in her music. There can be a lot of confusion about this, that's why I stated it up front. He met Jack Tempchin. I had met Victoria before that. But I think it takes a real receptive ear to hear what youre doing and make a decision to use it in the right way. Does he mostly play E9? Hundreds of pages of practice, instruction, and reference materials for E9 pedal steel. Search By the next year, the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. His heart gets taken out because its broken. I want to go back here and talk about your life. All the parts have a reason for being there. Youve been really busy recently. Hearing Leisz' work on that Bon Iver album convinced me that pedal steel is where I want to head. How has your pandemic year gone? I just went in and overdubbed on one song. That was a really interesting thing too. I basically thought at one point that Id be a geologist or a forest ranger or something like that. On pedals,he plays both necks very well and he told me he's been playing a U-12 Sierra on the Bill Frisell gig.On lap,he plays a number of tunings and seems to come up with nice stuff even if it's a tuning he just made up to suit a certain song.No slouch on standard guitar either.I've been trying to get him on the forum as he's aware his name comes up from time to time.Hey Greg - you out there?
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