They made it look like a recording studio onstage. Leisz's playing has appeared throughout the years on recordings by Aaron Neville, Alison Krauss, Amos Lee, Beck, Bill Frisell, Black Crowes, Bon Iver, Bruce Cockburn, Bruce Springsteen, Cass McCombs, Chuck Prophet, Daft Punk, Dave Alvin, Eagles, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Glenn Frey, Grant Lee Buffalo, Haim, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, John Fogerty, John Mayer, John Stewart, Joni Mitchell, k.d. Youre on Becks song Sissyneck from Odelay. Its pretty interesting. [Laughs] Thats so random. Greg Leisz's playing with k d lang is wonderful. Ive worked with Lucinda a lot since then, and even co-produced two of the last three albums [The Ghosts of Highway 20 and Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone] that shes made. Getting to all the great records hes played on would have resulted in an interview longer than Infinite Jest and the uncut edition of Stephen Kings The Stand combined. The record came out and you cant even hear what I played. I had seen her play live when she opened for Sarah McLachlan in Los Angeles. To jump forward here, can you tell me about the formation of the Funky Kings? Whats more interesting to me is that much later they had me play on Western Stars. They were referencing a lot of what they thought of as Seventies music, and using it. Free Shipping if you live in the North American US - email me directly for shipping everywhere else. All Lap Steels 2022-2023 Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior Lap Steel Black with Gig Bag! On her album Watershed, the track 'Once in a While' is a beautiful example of refined, tasteful and subtle playing. Use these diagrams as a reference tool, or memorization aid for your practice and playing. Youre on Safe and Sound with Taylor Swift and Civil Wars. She was just like, I dont need this anymore.. Youre on the James Iha track Take Me Down. It was from Eric. It was pretty terrifying. I can imagine that being intimidating. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. Thats just a huge, huge record. The band got signed very quickly because there was already a songwriter that had a couple hit songs. How Do the Pedals and Knee Levers Work on a Pedal Steel? The best way for me to do that was, I felt, I needed to play music, not sit around and wait for something to happen. My friend Brian Blade played drums on it. You can do anything you want. He asked me to come to Chicago and I was there. It was. T Bone has a lot of I dont want to say he delegates, but he trusts musicians to just do what he thinks theyre going to do. I did a couple of songs, and then a couple of days later, I played on another song. It was one of those things where it was just an afterthought as he was making this record. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. I hope I didn't make a fool of myself. This album is a seminar in playing with taste. Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 How did you feel when you first heard the record and realized theyd used that much of your work? I didnt play live with her. I basically grew up inside of that. This song is a great example of how tasteful Leiszs playing can be. Custom pedal steel t-shirts, mugs, posters, and moredesigned in Asheville, NC. I swear to God, I said to myself, I dont know who this is texting me. I think I had to think for five or 10 minutes. : Wikipedia : Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, Funky Kings, The All Star Band, Watkins Family Hour, Works Progress Administration : | Greg Leisz If you have a certain kind of shy disposition, youre usually intimidated because you dont know what to say and you just hope the person that is intimidating wont be intimidating because of something that you say. The year after that, Morning Phase was the album of the year. Greg Leisz is my favorite modern pedal steel player. He originally just wanted me on Killing the Blues. I just worked with his engineer. He basically put the band together since he was the only person that knew everyone that ended up in it. There was a lot of questioning, to be totally honest. LIM_FLAG - Soundboards allowed in ***streaming format only*** four months following a given performance Audience-made Bob Weir concert recordings (exclusive of Grateful Dead, RatDog, The Other Ones, The Dead, and Furthur recordings), can be made available as downloads while available. Yeah. Great album. Lang, and Bob Weir and Wolf Bros. I dont know how to comprehend everything Ive done, he says. When I saw Greg with the Intercontinentals a few months ago, he was playing an Asher lap steel, Bob Hoffnar's Emmons push-pull, (Greg uses a PP for recordings he told us), and what I thought it was an old Rickenbacker lap in some kind of E tuning. I loved the stuff that Sneaky Pete Kleinow played on the Flying Burrito Brothers records that he did. I dont think Warner Bros. was particularly happy, but they allowed her to do it. And until the record came out, I didnt even see the producer until after I finished the session. No matter who I play with, I try to integrate what Im doing with what Im hearing. We met the day I got the studio. He toured in 2013 as a member of Eric Clapton's band, in 2015 as a member of Jackson Browne's band, and again in 2017. Were going to try and match the sound and have you play the 12-string in the parts that arent there. If you look at the credits, it has two players playing 12-string on the song. That was the case with Joni Mitchell. I love that song too. Im fully vaccinated, have been for some time. ------------------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 is why I am playing steel today. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time I had met Victoria before that. It was just that Billy Corgan was allowing James to do one song on a double album. Especially the solo on "Pony". Tell me your first memories of being a kid and hearing music that really reached you. 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. I was going, Oh, shit. It sets the tone for the rest of the track, seguing smoothly into Alison Krausss vocals. I think I became really aware of his tone and his playing. He came back and I said, Want to hear it? He goes, Later, but Ive got another song. And then they put on this Gene Clark song Through the Morning, Through the Night. I did that and I just put it together with the engineer. They are Swedish musicians, but I knew some of the same people that they did. In 1975, he toured with John Stewart (formerly of The Kingston Trio). Its not just flavoring. Log in, Steel Guitar Forum LLCPO Box 237Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA. Tabs that display the major scale harmonized in thirdscombine these with harmonized sixths, and single note runs for lots of playing possibilities. These lap steel tabs and songs were played on an 8 string Excel Jerry Byrd frypan lap steel. I knew Lucinda from way back and had even worked stuff of hers that she ultimately shelved and then rerecorded. I grew up in a family where I didnt have older brothers or sisters. Lang record Ingnue. 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.'. Does he mostly play E9? She was very focused, so it was great working with her. We spent two hours on the phone with Leisz, and just barely scratched the surface of his life and career. Its got a great honky-tonk sound, and Leisz shows how at home he feels playing pedal steel in a more traditional context too. It can help with memorizing note names/positions, locating pockets, learningkey signatures, and more. youtu.be. She wanted something focused on every song. When he was working on it, I got brought in. #raylamontange. He began playing guitar and soon added dobro and lap steel. Thats what they called New Wave at the time. I had to decide whether it was good myself. ], Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain. This page contains affiliate links. 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/. At first, she thought shed use Brians jazz band. That was amazing. At the 2:44 mark check out Leiszs cool harmonic lick that echoes the vocals. T Bone wasnt even there to tell me it was good. They did a lot of interesting stuff with what I played. Maybe we can have that guy in the band. Specifications Greg Leisz - pedal steel, lap steel, National steel guitar, Scheerhorn resonator guitar, mandolin Ron Miles - trumpet Billy Drewes - alto saxophone David Piltch - bass Kenny Wolleson - drums, percussion Curtis Fowlkes - trombone. There was some kind of a connection made. My wife plays bass with David Crosby. In 2010 and 2011, Leisz toured with Ray LaMontagne as a member of his backing band, The Pariah Dogs. 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 Those threads can have a huge impact on your musical journey. The longer scale of the Strat (as opposed to traditional Lap steels) seems suited to this type of stuff. This is a gorgeous Asher Acoustic Hawaiian Teardrop Lap Steel owned and played by Greg Leisz who had been using it for recording and touring with Jackson Browne. 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. 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. He doesnt really talk to the audience. You wouldnt know it was Daft Punk, but its got pedal steel all through it. They were amazing. I hadnt met Beck before that. I think I was probably at least 40 years old before I started thinking, Maybe I can keep doing this., I want to talk about a few random credits that caught my eye. I saw her on Saturday Night Live. I played on something where she hadnt finished the lyrics yet. Thats another crazy story. Playpedalsteel.com also participates in affiliate programs with CJ, PartnerStack, and other sites. Feb 12, 2008. He was great. I already knew how to play guitar by then. It won Album of the Year too. Hes added so much great pedal steel playing to Frisells albums over the years, that listening to Frisells work is perhaps one of the best ways to learn what the pedal steel is capable of in Leiszs hands. A marvelous pedal steel player, Leisz has some of the most tasteful playing and impactful tone. Everybody was trying to get record deals. Having options for playing minor scales or modes in 6ths can be beneficial when playing in minor keys, over chord vamps, and over certain chords in a progression. He had Flood and the other producer [Alan Moulder]. And my wife and I spend a lot of time together during the pandemic since were both musicians. I got pretty good. The Robert Plant / Alison Krauss album was another amazing record. Her original version was more what she was doing at the time. I heard this, and could not get that steel guitar sound out of my head. It gets crazy. Leiszs ability to add whatever a track needs always feels natural and timeless at the same time. The word "ubiquitous" is usually placed in front of pedal steel player and guitarist Greg Leisz's name. The key to it working out was we had a couple conversations on the phone. Hes help put the pedal steel on the map of countless areas of music that it probably had never been before. My understanding is he uses a '66 bolt-on push/pull for most of his studio work. That album [Loose] was a really great album for me. Tell me about your friendship with him. The experience was great. We got a record deal because of Jack Tempchins past of writing songs for the Eagles on their early records. So tasteful! Bob [This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 26 November 2003 at 07:59 AM. The same thing happened when I heard pedal steel on records that I listened to. I've been enjoying Greg on Bill Frisell's recent release of John Lennon songs "All We Are Saying". from $995.00 $1,773.00 Sale Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support. She was on my radar as somebody up-and-coming. Podcast 66: Greg Leisz on Buddy Emmons. He has played on so many noteworthy productions, with so many great artists, that to say he has been influential in modern music is probably an understatement. Leisz has an amazing ability to generate sounds that the pedal steel isnt usually associated with. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. If you think about that era, I was in the mid-Sixties conundrum generation where you had a generation gap and a draft. Leisz has such a great melodic sense, and this song has it on full display. Without Brian making that suggestion, I dont think she would have thought of it. She came in and she was real sweet. If it didnt have a purpose, theyd just take it out. The people that you meet and have a connection with, suddenly theres another connection later on. All Rights reserved. Later, I did play on a James Iha solo album [Let It Come Down] that Jim Scott produced. They were all playing together and I was in the band with them. We already have a guitar player. I could see it as a smart thing to do. In all the gigs we did together, he never sat at my instrument or ever let on that he was such an accomplished steel player. 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). While Frisells guitar playing is unique and bends genres in its own right, Leisz complements this so well. This edition features pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz. She was living in Nashville and he was in Los Angeles. 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. I never saw that coming. Gretsch Custom Shop Tour. Thanks for checking out this post, hope it is helpful and makes playing more enjoyable! 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.. Playpedalsteel.com also participates in affiliate programs with CJ, PartnerStack, and other sites. Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46, Our mailing address is: They were like, Shes gone off the tracks, she fired her producer. I think they were surprised. She Ended Up Finding Herself. He needs an artificial heart. It was a natural fit with a lot of people. At least that's what David told me 25 years ago. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. I really do like what I played on that song. I never even listened to the Dead. Its a song called Moonlight Motel. Its the last song on the record. She got treated a little rough in the press in the reviews. I already knew it and I came out of the Sixties and had a folkie background and could understand that stuff. I love how unconventional Leiszs pedal steel has been on many recordings. I had produced a bunch of his records too. Pedal-Steel Guitarist Greg Leisz on His Years With Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, and Daft Punk "I don't know how to comprehend everything I've done," says the musician, who. And its interesting to me that youd think of that. I think that happened when she was on tour with Neil Young. Eventually, when I finally got one, I had friends that I could play along with. Fortunately, my mother was musical, even though she sang more opera. It was something I really liked to do and I started doing it a lot. He showed me the song [River Runs Deep] and pulled out an acoustic guitar. Prior to that record, I knew who she was. A true gentlemen, non-pareil tasteful player and inspiring to talk to. Their collaboration led to Leisz producing several of Alvin's albums, including King of California, Black Jack David, Ashgrove, and West of the West. They did all that stuff in Nashville. That band was really the brainchild of this guy named Richard Stekol, who was one third of the songwriting triumvirate of that band. In the earlier stages of his career, Leisz played and toured often with k.d. Enjoy weekend savings on Fender, Gretsch, and more. Youre all over the last Daft Punk album. When legendary artists head into the studio nowadays, theres a good chance theyll have Leisz play steel on the production. 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. 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 . I didnt really like service jobs. I actually went to college for a while and studied geology. I know. lang, adding pedal steel to this Grammy-winning album. I never really liked the Grateful Dead, and now Im in Bobs band the Wolf Brothers with Don Was. Right on Nate! Yeah. 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. And then seven or eight years after that, she did her last album [Shine], and she called me to work on that one, too. Pedal Steel. I was shaking on my way to the studio. Why am I going there? I had no idea. your profile | join | preferences | help | search. While Greg ranges widely stylistically, he can also play excellent straight-ahead country style, as on some of his work with Rosie Flores. They were just guys that were factory workers during the day that played country music at night. I thought, Well, my names in there. I put it together myself from maybe a few takes. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on musics A list. The Steel Guitar Forum His tone (on recent recordings) is, in my opinion, the best you will find in the world. I can see why his recording career show so many credits. Related Stories I saw that she broke her guitar and David Crosby didnt like it. But that particular song, what happened there is kind of interesting. We want to hear it. A detailed look at one of the most challenging and mysterious aspects of steel guitar playing: the right hand An In-Depth Guide to Picking and Blocking How to Efficiently and Accurately Play Notes on Steel Guitar with Info, Advice, and Tips Great for Pedal Steel, Lap Steel, and Console Steel Guitar He has an uncanny ability to always connect with the listeners ears. There are so many great recordings with him playing, and listeners have plenty to treat themselves to. Time and time again, Leisz shows that his ear is always adept to the present musical situation he finds himself in, creating in the moment. A few weeks later, they called me back and I did another song. Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again. ], [This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 26 November 2003 at 07:59 AM.]. That was fun since I had done all these albums with Dave in the preceding years. You probably know the history. Weve been doing live streaming shows from the Bay Area. And the Japanese version has a bonus track thats almost a pedal-steel instrumental. She had a strong vision. It wasnt the first band that wasnt successful that I was in, but it was the band that had the most attention focused on it, quite a bit in a very short time. The sound of the guitars blew my mind. Anyway, it was great for me. But I have worked on several other sessions with him, including several where we played live in the studio, like Mutations. I didnt really listen to the radio. Join I spent a lot of hours in country bars learning how to play, but my musical background has always been very wide. I really had no idea it would become what it became. But I love that song. And then Paul Carrack. He was inspired to pick up the pedal steel after hearing Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Buddy Emmons. This track has such a sweet groove to it, and Leisz adds just the right ambience to float with it. She decided she wanted to go play some live shows. Billy was in one room working on his stuff and James was in this other room working on his song. I was pedal steel and lap steel and some mandolin. He came out of that world in England where he heard Muddy Waters and it was all over for him. Leisz has played on countless recording sessions over the years, and a look through his credits will astound any music fan. We were both sitting there with acoustic guitars and I play a little on this song. A couple of months later, a box came to my house and it had a banjo in it. I didnt really see myself in the picture. I recently tried to just make a list of the names of the people Id played with, but it was so many that I had to stop. Join I had put in my time many years before that, learning that stuff. The pedal steel has an uncanny ability to add so much to any recording, especially one that features a singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar. He uses phosphor bronze light strings and tunes to open D (D A D F# A D). Leisz single-handedly liberated pedal steel from the bondage of country.. I didnt listen to contemporary music for a long time, probably from around the late Seventies until the late Eighties. Buddy Miller's "Majestic Silver Strings". That was kind of a cool thing. Utilize the major scale on common positions of the fretboard using foot pedals. She was unhappy with her producer and had lost her guitar player because I think it was her boyfriend and they had broken up. Very nice and tasteful playing. I didnt know much about Roxette and it was just that day. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. I know Greg plays other guitars live, but I gotta believe that unmistakable Leisz sound comes from the bolt-on. We went in the studio to make another record and the band broke apart during the dramas of making the second record. When she was making Car Wheels, that was really at the end stages of the record. I want to go back here and talk about your life. Are you vaccinated? Leisz spent his younger years catching acts like the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers in Southern California clubs. He said, Im not sure what songs Im going to do. Ron called me and said, I just want you to know I used your pedal steel in this Jeep commercial. I worked with Rose Flores from Austin Texas last year out here in NZ and Greg was all over her albums and material --- fantastic playing ! Id sometimes listen to the band just to hear the pedal-steel player. I basically thought at one point that Id be a geologist or a forest ranger or something like that. 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 someone I met many years earlier when he played in Ace in the Seventies. Help When I ordered my Williams, Bob Rudolph told me that he uses S-12 Extended E9th tuning. They had the chorus. Read More. These five tunings for 6 string lap steel guitar are great starting points for anyone just beginning the lap steel adventure: C6 - C E G A C E - The C6 tuning is by far the most common modern tuning for solid body lap steel guitars. During this time, are you thinking of music as a possible career, or is it more a fun hobby? I was drawn to the records that I guess now we talk about as folk-rock or country-rock and I kind of got pulled into the pedal steel through that music, through hearing it on the records that I liked. Everything was recorded onto a Zoom R24 then ported to a PC for mastering using Reaper. But I love that record. I was basically asked to play all the guitars on the album. It kicks off that album and its beautiful. This is a great album all around, with world class musicianship. What happened in that time? I dont know how else to describe how I feel. When I look at Discogs and AllMusic, I go, I forgot about this record and that record But for me, its the breadth of the stuff that Im most proud of, not necessarily the number.. Lindley's style led me to Greg Leisz, my greatest inspiration. 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. His tunings include low G (D G D G B D) and a secret tuning that he uses in three different keys-one for each of three instruments.