Her budget had been stretched by the time, so she wanted to work fast. He was doing a record with her. You wouldnt know it was Daft Punk, but its got pedal steel all through it. But she was fine with it. Kiley Dean Began As Britney Spears' Backup Singer. Gretsch Custom Shop Tour. I want to go back here and talk about your life. 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? I basically grew up inside of that. As well as Ryan Adams "Ashes & Fire", he is on a few tracks. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Im fully vaccinated, have been for some time. I can imagine that being intimidating. There was something called new country. Once that started happening, I had been pre-conditioned to play that kind of music. 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. Leisz is no stranger to rock n' roll, and always has the ability to add grit and bite to songs. ------------------Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning. Apparently, she had already worked on the song. Did you work with Taylor? I didnt study music because I didnt think that was a career option for me. Why was I even there? Its kind of a disappointing thing. She made one record before that, at least. Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46, Our mailing address is: I hope I didn't make a fool of myself. Leisz spent his younger years catching acts like the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers in Southern California clubs. Bob [This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 26 November 2003 at 07:59 AM. I know. Leisz's ability to add whatever a track needs always feels natural and timeless at the same time. It was one of those things where she had a breakout song with that Cowboys song and suddenly the record company was like, Oh, we knew it the whole time! Ive seen this a lot before. He said, Im not sure what songs Im going to do. Great for diving into single note playing possibilities and runs on the tuning. They had the chorus. Leisz has played on countless recording sessions over the years, and a look through his credits will astound any music fan. In 1989, he played on k.d. How has your pandemic year gone? I think she had an idea of how she wanted to do it. He showed me the song [River Runs Deep] and pulled out an acoustic guitar. He's on all of them.. Search 6.9K views 1 year ago On this Greg Leisz interview, how playing with artists like Dave Alvin, k.d. This is an invaluable ability for sessions, where the musician often has to hear and learn the music on the spot for the recording. Why am I going there? I had no idea. 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. 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). But the backing of that commercial, the producer took guitar from Moonlight Motel. After all these different attempts to put music behind that commercial, since its Springsteen talking with music behind it, they wound up just using that pedal steel. But I just overdubbed on it. That band was really the brainchild of this guy named Richard Stekol, who was one third of the songwriting triumvirate of that band. 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. And when she was young, she actually sang in a Broadway musical and light opera in the mid-Forties, during the war. He said, OK, Im going to do a Hop Wilson song where I can feature you. That was a big deal for me since when we actually did go on tour, I just played utility. Feb 12, 2008. I ended up working on a few other albums with him. Another close collaborator is Bill Frisell, with whom he tours regularly and is featured on the albums Good Dog, Happy Man, Blues Dream, The Intercontinentals, Disfarmer, All We Are Saying, and Guitar in the Space Age. 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. But I have worked on several other sessions with him, including several where we played live in the studio, like Mutations. Around the 1:32 mark, Leiszs beautiful harmonics grace the listener in the higher frequencies. Playpedalsteel.com also participates in affiliate programs with CJ, PartnerStack, and other sites. To wrap here, how do you feel when you look at your credits and just see hundreds and hundreds of songs? He originally just wanted me on Killing the Blues. I just worked with his engineer. Theres a picture of me. Leisz has such a great melodic sense, and this song has it on full display. So the tuning from high (string 1) to low is: E, C, A, F#, E, C). 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. They did all that stuff in Nashville. Getting paid for anything is always a pain in the neck. Its a song called Moonlight Motel. Its the last song on the record. They made it look like a recording studio onstage. 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. In 1987, Leisz began working with Dave Alvin (formerly of The Blasters). He said, Im maybe going to go on tour next year. I spent a lot of hours in country bars learning how to play, but my musical background has always been very wide. He appeared in the 2016 Cameron Crowe cable television series Roadies, accompanying Jackson Browne on three songs in the last episode of the series. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar This was a time where I met a lot of people like Victoria Williams and Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, Dwight Yoakam, Rosie Flores there was a bunch of people that all kind of knew each other and were playing in the same clubs in L.A. in the late Eighties. Pedal Steel Guitar: Why Its So Hard To Play, Pedal Steel Guitar WEIGHT (Lighter vs. Yeah. That album [Loose] was a really great album for me. August 20, 2019. I know Greg plays other guitars live, but I gotta believe that unmistakable Leisz sound comes from the bolt-on. I hadnt met Beck before that. Yeah. It is in near mint condition and comes with a custom deluxe Cedar Creek hardshell case. The Steel Guitar Forum A detailed look at one of the most challenging and mysterious aspects of steel guitar playing: the right hand, 200 Country Riffs & Licks for E9 Pedal Steel, Add these country licks to your playing repertoire, The Elixir of E9 Pedal Steel: Harmonized 6thsif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'playpedalsteel_com-medrectangle-1','ezslot_6',177,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-playpedalsteel_com-medrectangle-1-0');report this ad, Stay up to date on articles, tabs, and more, The pedal steel is much easier than it seems if you approach it with certain essentials in mind. More recently, you worked with Phoebe Bridgers. They are Swedish musicians, but I knew some of the same people that they did. She Ended Up Finding Herself, Hear Ann-Margret and Pete Townshends New Take on the Everly Brothers Bye Bye Love, Through the Morning, Through the Night., video where Jackson is getting a heart transplant, David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78, How Deem Spencer Learned to be Vulnerable on His New Album adultSW!M, Suki Waterhouse Won't Take Romance For Granted on New Single 'To Love', Travis Barker Says His Finger Ligament Surgery Was a 'Success' After Postponing Blink-182 Tour, J-Hope, Boygenius, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week, DeSantis Disney Appointee Said Tap Water Might Be Turning People Gay. I went back to Chicago and worked on that with James. She wanted something very specific. The sound of the guitars blew my mind. Playpedalsteel.com is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'playpedalsteel_com-large-leaderboard-1','ezslot_8',176,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-playpedalsteel_com-large-leaderboard-1-0');report this ad, Pedal Steel Fretboards (Info, Functions, Types), Pedal Steel Guitar in Nashville (Shows, Players, Info), Pedal Steel on Todays Music Scene: A Hidden Gem, 9 Best Pedal Steel Guitars (That Sound AMAZING). It was just four or five hours. But with the Daft Punk project, everything that band does seems to be very important. I had put in my time many years before that, learning that stuff. I keep a Strat copy with a Nut Riser and strung with 11's tuned to Open E for gritty Lap steel Blues. I basically felt like I had to hone my own skills. http://archive.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/frisell.shtml. They were like, Shes gone off the tracks, she fired her producer. I think they were surprised. Thanks for checking out this post, hope it is helpful and makes playing more enjoyable! John Bohlinger. When she was making Car Wheels, that was really at the end stages of the record. Thats another crazy story. Hearing Leisz' work on that Bon Iver album convinced me that pedal steel is where I want to head. I was like, Now I have to get an electric guitar. That was the start of the garage-band culture of the Sixties. Thats because Ive done a lot of stuff with T Bone Burnett. Its got a great honky-tonk sound, and Leisz shows how at home he feels playing pedal steel in a more traditional context too. 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. Leiszs tone is crystal clear on this one, and is captivating. I taught myself how to play. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. These two have such a great melodic sense, and their instruments weave in and out of each other to create a beautiful tapestry of sound. The people that you meet and have a connection with, suddenly theres another connection later on. Fortunately, my mother was musical, even though she sang more opera. your profile | join | preferences | help | search. His playing on this track sits well in the mix with a tone that hooks the listener. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Tabs can be a great way to reference musical patterns and learn new playing ideas on the pedal steel guitar. Log in, Steel Guitar Forum LLCPO Box 237Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA. "A lot of people that I've worked with, you think they're going to be intimidating, but they're so good at making you feel comfortable," says Greg Leisz. Ive been very fortunate since all my friends and family have remained healthy and fine. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Lang, and Bob Weir and Wolf Bros. I dont know how to comprehend everything Ive done, he says. I never saw that coming. 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. I knew right then it was all up to me. How Do the Pedals and Knee Levers Work on a Pedal Steel? 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. 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. from $995.00 $1,773.00 Sale SOLD 2022 Electro Hawaiian Model 1 Lap Steel Custom $3,900.00 Sold Out Sale 2022-2023 Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior Lap Steel Trans Cherry with Gig Bag! Tell me about your friendship with him. I did a couple of songs, and then a couple of days later, I played on another song. This track is beautiful and Leiszs pedal steel comes in almost right away. Odelay was interesting because he was working with the Dust Brothers. That was amazing. Use the following techniques: Hold the bar in between your thumb and middle finger. She was taking parts off and replacing them. Let's connect. Great album. This edition features pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz. At the 2:44 mark check out Leiszs cool harmonic lick that echoes the vocals. I didnt really know what to call it. Greg Leisz played some really nice parts on her new CD "Illustrated Songs" but I did not see this listed among his credits. I actually went to the same high school as Jackson. Thats one of my favorite Lucinda Williams songs. How did you feel when you first heard the record and realized theyd used that much of your work? And then it became, Wow, I can make a little money. But I had all sorts of different day jobs the whole time. Steve Earle had taken over from her ex-guitar player [Gurf Morlix], who left the band during the sessions. And now Im going, There is something here . Does he mostly play E9? Once I could actually play the guitar, I started meeting a couple of other kids in the neighborhood and wed play together. The Robert Plant / Alison Krauss album was another amazing record. He was inspired to pick up the pedal steel after hearing Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Buddy Emmons. I actually went to college for a while and studied geology. Later, I did play on a James Iha solo album [Let It Come Down] that Jim Scott produced. For the next eighteen years he toured with Lang and recorded with her, including her album Ingenue. We were both sitting there with acoustic guitars and I play a little on this song. I missed that whole era. All Rights reserved. At some point, I just picked up the guitar, probably around 1962 or 1963. I can teach myself.. I was usually to shy to go up and talk to anybody about it, but I just kind of absorbed the music. lang, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Cockburn, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, and the Venturesto name a few. I love the layering and devotion to the song instead of the instrument. Classic country shuffle styles for Band-in-a-Box, by BIAB guru Jim Baron. It has really great songs, but it had some amazing pedal steel by Buddy Emmons. I just got contacted. It was really a drag that she didnt continue after that because she didnt get enough people didnt really appreciate that last album. 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. And they cut some stuff up. I am a huge fan of Greg's playing, and had the pleasure of meeting him after the show. He was probably looking to do something at that same time. The key to it working out was we had a couple conversations on the phone. It was very quick. 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. Editors picks I was going, Oh, shit. Im not going to try and edit what you do.. It kicks off that album and its beautiful. I had to decide whether it was good myself. Running on Empty was done on the A Rickenbacker. Violin (5:18) Amos Lee: Vocal, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Fuzz Guitar, Vibraphone Jaron Olevsky: Rhodes Electric Keyboard, Organ Joey Burns: Piano, Electric Guitar, Baritone Guitar, Upright Bass Greg Leisz: Pedal Steel 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. Lets start with Roxette and their hit It Must Have Been Love. I got a job as a janitor and as a substitute mailman for a while. Actually, Ive been working a lot with Jackson Browne. I also didnt have parents that thought it was a good idea. Thats what they called New Wave at the time. We had the pleasure of opening for her here in Fort Myers a while back. He was great. When we ended up playing together, it was kind of fun even though he barely remembered me. Victoria had already gotten a deal and made a record in New York. No matter who I play with, I try to integrate what Im doing with what Im hearing. Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 Well, in those 10 years, I spent a lot of time playing in clubs, basically. You get very disillusioned about that being a possibility, but you still keep doing it. Im going to make a list and send it to people. He told me the band, that he wanted Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan to be the rhythm section and Doyle and Chris Stainton. 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. He stays genuine with the instrument, while still allowing its breadth of expression to add value to each recording. 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. But I love that record. I feel very fortunate we got through the whole year. I love the Victoria Williams song Crazy Mary. You play on that. I went through a little bit of soul searching. Thats another very interesting one. He decided he wanted to have that instrument in that particular band for that tour. They got turned on to the pedal steel somehow and they knew about me. Well, thats a good question. He just came in and said, Im going to go out. He does some nice work on Jakob Dylan's "Women And Country". All in good time --, [This message was edited by Russ Young on 22 November 2002 at 09:12 PM. When he was working on it, I got brought in. Or does he switch necks often? your profile | join | preferences | help | search. She wanted something focused on every song. Lang record Ingnue. Greg Leisz is prolific, to say the least. I put it together myself from maybe a few takes. "Legends of the Incredible Lap Steel". He has an uncanny ability to always connect with the listeners ears. lang's Grammy-winning Absolute Torch and Twang and joined her on the resulting tour. And then seven or eight years after that, she did her last album [Shine], and she called me to work on that one, too. Put your index finger on top of the bar, which helps you guide and control it. Specifications [Laughs] Yes, but Im used to being intimidated by people in the music business. Lovely conversation with this music legend. And then I went, Holy shit. I texted back to see if it was real. If it didnt have a purpose, theyd just take it out. I saw that she broke her guitar and David Crosby didnt like it. Thats what he did. And the Japanese version has a bonus track thats almost a pedal-steel instrumental. Can you bring your 12-string over here to the studio? Oh, man can Greg play the steel! 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 never thought of it as a career. He was a member of Funky Kings who released their eponymous debut album on Arista Records in 1976. We did a video where Jackson is getting a heart transplant. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Thats someone I met many years earlier when he played in Ace in the Seventies. A couple of months later, a box came to my house and it had a banjo in it. Use these diagrams as a reference tool, or memorization aid for your practice and playing. He just sits up there in his golf shirt and jeans and is up there like he just walked out of his house and went down to the local bar and hes onstage playing. As an Amazon Associate Playpedalsteel.com earns from qualifying purchases. This is one of those songs that I cant imagine without Leiszs pedal steel. I never really tried to emulate a pop star. I dont know how else to describe how I feel. I got pretty good. I think that happened when she was on tour with Neil Young. Hes credited with playing 12-string too. This album is a seminar in playing with taste. They were referencing a lot of what they thought of as Seventies music, and using it. Theres so many little things that happen when you make records. 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. In the studio, usually David used Valco instruments. I dont think the one I play on was in Pretty Woman. He needs an artificial heart. Hed even introduce me in the set. He heard my pedal steel and thought that was something that Joni would embrace in her music. It has a deep, full body sound, with amazing resonance. Its from the Hunger Games movie. His idea was to have her do this thing with Civil Wars where they sang together. Im wondering if thats something youd ever like to do.. I played a lot of different kinds of guitars on that record. His tone (on recent recordings) is, in my opinion, the best you will find in the world. I just had to hope she wouldnt walk out of the room and not come back. Ive come full circle with him. That was the first thing I did with her. 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. Pedal Steel. Lap Steel. Going back here, can you talk about playing with the Smashing Pumpkins on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness? One lesson that will aid your set of lap steel guitar lessons nicely is this one from your friends at the National Guitar Academy: Slide Guitar Tuning: The Essential Guide. Versatile and musically accommodating, Greg shapes up many tracks with his pedal steel playing. Its huge. This track will really take you on a ride into the sonic frontiers, and Leisz shows just how much expression the pedal steel is capable of. 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. I wasnt expecting that band to break up. When legendary artists head into the studio nowadays, theres a good chance theyll have Leisz play steel on the production. Nonesuch Records 2001 . To me, thats really interesting to do that. He met Jack Tempchin. The pedal steel can be so atmospheric, and Leisz provides the perfect blend for the listener. I can see why his recording career show so many credits. Sure enough, he was serious. Starting the early 1990s, he worked often with Matthew Sweet, played on Sweet's album Girlfriend and toured with him. Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46, The greatest musical hands in the world, now on CD! Leisz grew up in the garage band culture of mid-1960s Southern California. Youve been really busy recently. Custom pedal steel t-shirts, mugs, posters, and moredesigned in Asheville, NC.