Posts: 2792
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered:

posted 08 November 1999 09:52 AM         

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I saw Bill Frisell's New Quartet last night at the Cubberly Center in Palo Alto. This quartet features Bill Frisell on guitar, David Piltch on upright bass, Kenny Wollesen on drums, and Greg Leisz on steel guitars. This was an amazing show in my opinion; definitely not country, but American music nonetheless. Imagine a jazz bassist and drummer, supporting a guitarist playing with multiple echo and delay effects, interacting with Greg Leisz on lap steel, resonator guitar and/or pedal steel. They played a number of folky melodies, turned them inside out and back again. The songs I recognized were "Shenandoah" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", and let me tell you, Hank never done it that way !
Bill Frisell is a veteran of the New York downtown jazz scene. He's played with many different jazz musicians, including Charlie Haden, Jim Hall, and Jan Garbarek. With this quartet, he's taken a a look at American folk and country, but with the techniques he's developed in his jazz playing.
Greg Leisz played a Scheerhorn resonator guitar, an Asher lap steel (built by Bill Asher of Santa Monica), a National Dynamic lap steel (identical to the one I own) and a Sierra pedal steel with 8 pedals and 5 knee levers. Everything went through one of two Fender Twin Reverb amps. He used a variety of pedals, which I couldn't see clearly except for the Ibanez distortion pedal and the Rotovibe (Leslie simulator). He used his effects carefully, as befitting his background as a session guitarist.
Greg and Bill's guitar interplay was truly inspiring. I found that at times I could not tell who was playing what. The sounds ebbed and flowed through several tunes; some tunes merged into others in ways you'd never expect.
I highly recommend you check these guys out if you get a chance. I was enthralled and inspired by their performance.

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Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Posts: 557
From: Westfield, NJ USA
Registered: NOV 99

Posts: 1646
From: Sebastopol, CA USA
Registered:

posted 08 November 1999 12:32 PM         

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I believe they are playing in the Bay Area this Wednesday at Yoshi's. I did a session with drummer Kenny Wollesen a few years back. Maybe I'l get lucky and he'll put me on the pest.... I mean guest list.

Dave

Posts: 3552
From: Seattle, WA USA
Registered:

posted 09 November 1999 06:18 AM         

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Dave: go to the show whatever you have to do. Greg is amazing with this band, some of the best tone I have ever heard, especially on the lap steel.

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www.tyacktunes.com

Posts: 1646
From: Sebastopol, CA USA
Registered:

posted 09 November 1999 09:01 AM         

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I rented a movie called "Outside Ozona" a few months back. The song that played through the credits in the introduction and the end had some incredibly tasty and toneful steel that was played by Greg. It sounded great even on the lousy speakers on my TV.

Dave

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