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  Alternativemusic steel guitar artists (Page 1)

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Author Topic:   Alternativemusic steel guitar artists
Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 24 April 2005 11:14 AM     profile     
Hi all,

I'm an ambient-electronic-deeplistenings musician: please listen my music here: http://solyaris.altervista.org

I recently discovered some amazing pedal-steel guitar great artists; they are

1. Susan Alcorn
2. Chas Smith

Do someone may suggest me some others artists like Susan and Chas ?

I mean musicians that explore lap-steel guitar and pedal-steel guitar in ambient /electronic musics / atonal / avant-garde styles ?

Btw, enjoy photos of my preferred lap steelers here: http://solyaris.altervista.org/friends.htm

Many thanks for your feedbacks
regards
giorgio (Solyaris)

Dan Tyack
Member

From: Seattle, WA USA

posted 24 April 2005 11:42 AM     profile     
Bob Hoffnar. Bob is an incredibly creative steel player who has played in a number of styles. You can get his CD right here on the forum, I recommend it highly.

http://pedalsteelmusic.com/music/bobhoffnar.html#cd2

------------------
www.tyack.com

John Lockney
Member

From: New Market, Maryland, USA

posted 24 April 2005 12:56 PM     profile     
You might like the "Japancakes".

http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/j/japancakes-sleepy.shtml


[This message was edited by John Lockney on 24 April 2005 at 12:56 PM.]

John Steele
Member

From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

posted 24 April 2005 01:32 PM     profile     
Dave Easley's playing, with Brian Blade,
might also grab you.
-John
Bob Hoffnar
Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

posted 24 April 2005 01:44 PM     profile     
Giorgio,
Here is a link to a piece I did with a video artist. The steel part is recorded live and the only effect I used was an Ibaneze tube screamer. Its based on naturally occuring difference tones.

www.soniccircuits.com/listen/

Mostly I play pretty straight these days because I don't have another job and people don't normally pay me to make new sounds for them. I will start doing some of my own concerts in a month or so though. A composer named John Zorn talked me into doing my own music for a concert coming up in NYC.
If there is nobody to reel me in my playing gets pretty out there. At one session an English metal band brought me in to sweeten a ballad. We knocked that out pretty fast
so in the time left over they thought they would screw with the redneck American steel player. They put on some thrash thing and a condecendingly told me to see if I could come up with something scary. I pulled some rusty pieces of sheet metal out of my case, cranked the nearest mashall and started sawing the strings off my C neck. It sounded like 50 cats screamimg and clawing a blackboard really really loud ! They ran out of the control room holding there ears and stopped me. I said "whats up, you wanted something scary,right ?" and they said "yes, but you are actually frightening us !"

Sorry for the long post but I thought some guys would get a kick out of that story.

------------------
Bob
intonation help


[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 24 April 2005 at 01:45 PM.]

Jim Phelps
Member

From: just out of Mexico City

posted 24 April 2005 01:51 PM     profile     
Well Bob, you gave them what they asked for!

No doubt they thought all the steel could do is play pretty, whiny sounds.... so many people make that mistake. Guess you showed them!

Reminds me of the Tommy Tedesco story of when he was doing a session with Mike Nesmith. They told him to do something really far-out, freeform, crazy at the end. He cranked his amp and threw his electric guitar straight up into the air, it came down on the studio floor and you can just imagine the sounds. The other musicians looked at him in horror and whispered things like "Tedesco's crazy!".

Later, Nesmith said in an interview about the song, "One guy, Tommy Tedesco, knew what we were after...." !

Keep the rusty sheet metal handy.

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 24 April 2005 at 01:57 PM.]

Dave Mudgett
Member

From: Central Pennsylvania, USA

posted 24 April 2005 02:01 PM     profile     
You might want to check out Bruce Kaphan. He has a cool CD "Slider - Ambient Excursions for Pedal Steel Guitar". He's from the San Fransisco Bay area.
Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 24 April 2005 02:08 PM     profile     
Thank you Bob for you answer,

ciause my poor english I dodn't understand completely your story,
anyway thank you for the listenings piece; interesting!

About you CD sold here: http://pedalsteelmusic.com/music/bobhoffnar.html#cd2
A good idea would be to put some MP3 to invite people to buy; maybe you can suggest Bob to insert MP3 if you agreethat is a good idea to improve sell.


> I will start doing some of my own concerts >in a month or so though. A composer named >John Zorn talked me into doing my own music >for a concert coming up in NYC.

I believe that is a very good "advertisement" for your music/person, cause the "named" John Zorn is a musician very famous also in Europe for his free-jazz music!

All the best & thank you
giorgio

David L. Donald
Member

From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

posted 24 April 2005 02:22 PM     profile     
If John Zorn said do it.,. do it for sure.

Giorgio intersting stuff.
I like it!

David Yannuzzi
Member

From: New City, New York, USA

posted 24 April 2005 02:54 PM     profile     
I just got both Bob Hofners Cd's recently . They are both great and I am listening to them alot. They are very original and put the steel in different musical context than ussual. The musicianship and the steel playing is badass.It is very inspiring.
I would say get both.The newer one is more avante-garde and sonically probably more what you are looking for. Can't wait to hear what he does with John Zorn -Dave

[This message was edited by David Yannuzzi on 24 April 2005 at 02:55 PM.]

Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 25 April 2005 01:49 AM     profile     
David, where can I listen some MP3 of Bob Hofners ?

I thank you many people wrote me ...

Honestly, what I'm looking for exactly is "slow-motion" (pedal or lap) steel guitar (solo) music (something related to deep listening "genre"! )

I do not like personally for example John Zorn music (because is skizophrenically "fast-motion" is too mutch related to my every day life in crazyness cityes!) and I do not like *new age* music (because superficial and often cunning)

I like the deep exploration of sounds (and soul ) out of "simple" genres.

Steel guitar speaking ... what I mean is music where the inner beatiful harmonic features and nuances of multi-strings *chords* come out amplified in any shades!

At the moment the only artist I listened that do that in nowadays music contexts is the superb Susan Alcorn ( http://www.susanalcorn.com ) and Chas Smith!

Please give me more artists! :)

sincerely
giorgio

Chris Brooks
Member

From: Providence, Rhode Island

posted 25 April 2005 05:21 AM     profile     

"Steel guitar speaking ... what I mean is music where the inner beatiful harmonic features and nuances of multi-strings *chords* come out amplified in any shades!"

Giorgio, I couldn't have said it better than you have--and I am an English teacher!

Ciao,

Chris


------------------
now living in the Ocean State ....

Wayne Carver
Member

From: Martinez, Georgia, USA

posted 25 April 2005 06:05 AM     profile     
Although not ambient you might like Giant Sand, Calexico, or Shivaree. They have some interesting steel on a few songs.
Bob Hoffnar
Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

posted 25 April 2005 07:14 AM     profile     
Georgio,
I'm starting a web site and I will have some short samples on it. It will be ready in a week or so. You do have another thread where you ask how musicians are going to be paid for there music on the net. Actually buying a CD might be a good way to start. Plus part of the money goes to supporting the forum !

Plus you need to check out BJ Cole.
www.bjcole.co.uk
Is CD "Heart of the Moment" might be something you would be into.

quote:
Steel guitar speaking ... what I mean is music where the inner beatiful harmonic features and nuances of multi-strings *chords* come out amplified in any shades!

When you get down to it nothing expresses those most beautiful features of the pedalsteel better than The Emmons Black album. The music is in straight song form but no one gets more subtle tonal shadings and deep expression out of the pedal steel than Buddy Emmons.

------------------
Bob
intonation help


[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 25 April 2005 at 07:54 AM.]

David Yannuzzi
Member

From: New City, New York, USA

posted 25 April 2005 12:10 PM     profile     
Try finding one of Daniel Lanois solo albums. Aside from being a badass producer/engineer he is a pedal steel player. I think he has done some things with Brian Eno.Maybe there is some steel on it. I read that steel was his first instrument. He also produced albums by Drummer Brian Blade that have great steel playing by David Easly.These ablums sound very cool .Very open and live sounding. They lean more toward modern Jazz.-Dave
Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 26 April 2005 03:04 AM     profile     
thank you Bob

sometime incredible meetings between people happens!!

http://www.bjcole.co.uk/Photos_lukebj.html

I just see that BJ cole performed with Luke Vibert ??!!

It's very strange! Maybe no many people i guess know here who is Luke Vibert ...
in fact I think it's an incredible crazy composer in the drum's'n'bass dance music area ??!!!! ... he become very very famous in "electronica" - trip-hop area with the beatiful "Drum'n'bass for papa" album.
He is a kind of genial composer ... immo
and one of the few young-generation musician that we can hope in the future ...
I mean: he play for "dance music" audience but he is a great composer.

So, I don't know BJ Cole, sorry for my ignorance, but because Luke Vibert is an extraordinary person, I presume BJ Cole is too an extraordinary person!


Btw, i'll investigate Buddy Emmons!

about music is certain that buying CDs is the way! :) I only have to save money for the correct CDs becuase my budget is modest :)
This is becuase MP3 are a must for check out the and decide to purchasing (in my opinion)!

best regards
giorgio

Jim Cohen
Member

From: Philadelphia, PA

posted 26 April 2005 05:35 AM     profile     
Yes, BJ Cole, "In the Heart of the Moment". You want that CD.
Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 26 April 2005 05:52 AM     profile     
I see!

strange matchings! : http://www.astralwerks.com/vibertcole/default.html

giorgio

Charlie McDonald
Member

From: Lubbock, Texas, USA

posted 26 April 2005 06:58 AM     profile     
This is what I like; the chord progressions come on slowly; very dreamy.
I am inspired to go ahead and order my Artisan.
Great work.
Bill Brummett
Member

From: Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA

posted 26 April 2005 09:49 AM     profile     
For something else that's a bit different, you might want to check out Joe Wright's CD entitled "Powerslide". He gets some incredible rock on here that seems almost impossible to get out of a steel.

It's available at his website
http://www.pedalsteel.com/

Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 26 April 2005 09:56 AM     profile     
thanks Dave,

I saw in a photo that Daniel Lanois plays a pedal steel without plectrums (only with fingertips); it's this possible in your opinion ? :)

Do you suggest a specific Daniel's solo album ?

many thanks
giorgio

Mark Lind-Hanson
Member

From: San Francisco, California, USA

posted 26 April 2005 12:47 PM     profile     
It's very much possible, the question is,
is it COMFORTABLE for you?
I have tried this at times and found it no more uncomfortable than playing a 6 string electric- HOWEVER I noticed that "the grips are easier for the mind to remember" when you're wearing picks. I would think that the sharp picking edge allows you a little more
precision in placing the fingers, while playing without picks, the meat of the hand
gives the strings that much more area to rub up on. But it can be done.
Question is- "is it Proper, and Should it?" -haha-
Jim Cohen
Member

From: Philadelphia, PA

posted 26 April 2005 01:00 PM     profile     
... and do you like the difference in tone?
Kevin Macneil Brown
Member

From: Montpelier, VT, USA

posted 26 April 2005 01:28 PM     profile     
There are indeed some nice deep and evocative pedal steel pieces on Lanois's recent disc SHINE. Some steel also on his collaboration with Eno on APOLLO: ATMOSPHERES AND SOUND TRACKS.
This interview piece with Susan Alcorn, Bruce Kaphan, and Chas Smith that I did last summer might be of interest. Three wonderful musicians:
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/293

Kevin Macneil Brown
Member

From: Montpelier, VT, USA

posted 26 April 2005 01:35 PM     profile     
I just remembered...David Toop.
Perhaps a little more squiggly and spiky, but another one using steel "outside of the box."
Plus, his fascinating book OCEAN OF SOUND has a section about Speedy West.
Dan Tyack
Member

From: Seattle, WA USA

posted 26 April 2005 02:37 PM     profile     
Man, I love that piece, Bob. You gotta get out there more often.....

------------------
www.tyack.com

David Yannuzzi
Member

From: New City, New York, USA

posted 26 April 2005 04:51 PM     profile     
Playing without picks gives you a mellower tone and different attack. Some people do it because they can't get use to finger picks and other like the tone.
I read Buddy Emmons say he likes to play without picks sometimes.Perhaps it brings you closer to the instrument and feels more natural.Hope thats not too New Age.That's not what I mean. I know when I play slide on regular guitar I like to use my fingers.I like the tone and when I use a pick I feel too distant from the instrument. I think Lanois's newer albums have some nice pedal steel.-Dave
David Mason
Member

From: Cambridge, MD, USA

posted 26 April 2005 11:20 PM     profile     
I have a CD by a guy named Cal Erath called "Cetus." It's definitely in the ambient style, I guess it's supposed to evoke our inner whaleness. As the liner notes say, "I have approached the instrument in a less conventional manner. Through the use of digital and analog effects, a violin bow and, at first, having no idea how to actually play the thing, CETUS came to be." It is virtually unlistenable to me, I could play this way if I took enough thorazine and installed a drool guard to keep my strings from rusting.

The most creative pedal steel guitarist playing today is Dave Easley, but ambient he ain't. I am also very fond of the Indian lap slide guitarists Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Debashish Bhattacharya. Indian music is sort of ambient in the slow, introductory "alap" sections, but these guys also have ferocious bar-movement chops. Very "skizophrenically "fast-motion'" once they get going.

Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 27 April 2005 02:41 AM     profile     
To Kevin:
Thanks for info about Danile Lanois! I'm re-discovering him! I have so to find at home "apollo"
> http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/293

Yes, I already read that interview with great interest translating english - to italian (my language) to avoid to lose any nuances on what great Susan Alcorn, Bruce Kaphan, and Chas Smith said; I love especially Susan Alcorn listened here:
http://www.wps1.org/include/shows/Sonorama.html#alcorn

About David Toop ... interesting ... I read "ocean of sound" book (transalted in italian)! but honestly I didn't appreciated his "view" of modern music and I was disappointed cause he didn't mentioned *real* new electronic music but only glorifyng something trivial ... Brian Eno etc. etc.
but this is a very personal approach maybe ... as frequently in my life I have to correct myself! I'll re-read "Speedy West" poragraph! thank you and sorry for my arrogance.

To Dave:

>Perhaps it brings you closer to the >instrument and feels more natural.
>I like the tone and when I use a pick I feel >too distant from the instrument.

yes, the same for me I play electric guitar without pick from years but sincerly I didn't experimented figertips on my little lap-steel; I'll do!

To David:

>I am also very fond of the Indian lap slide >guitarists Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Debashish >Bhattacharya.
>Indian music is sort of ambient in the slow, >introductory "alap" sections,

I dont't know this artist but I'm using listening indian music of course!
Listening my music I concluded that the delayed sound I use realize a kind of indefinite indian strings instrument.
A part jokes I love alap especially maybe this music is one of the "seeds" togheter with pink floyd and electronic space music (please look at italians great artist Alio Die and Oophoy at www.hypnos.com)

>but these guys also have ferocious >bar-movement chops. Very "skizophrenically >fast-motion'" once they get going.

Yes, but the pardox is that these very fast movements are done with a wood-made tone bar ...as I know ... in fact the resulting sound of the beatiful "south of indian - slide super bassguitar" the GOTTUVADYAM ( http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/gotuvadyam.html
) is really mellow!

Personnaly I like very mutch the sound of this instrument that I prefer to sitar and in general I prefere music of south of Indian cause less "serious" about the respect of very old "indian classic music" ... more spontaneous ... more freee pheraps

to all:
thank you very mutch for suggestions of new artists; it would be very kind of you if you can post MP3 or whatever links to nusic so we can get the sound at first glance!

giorgio http://solyaris.altervista.org

Johan Jansen
Member

From: Europe

posted 27 April 2005 05:17 AM     profile     
http://steeljj.com/audio/flying.asx
Jason Weaver
Member

From: Topeka, Kansas, USA

posted 27 April 2005 07:31 AM     profile     
One of my fav shows used to be Sessions at West 54th Street on PBS. It is still a favorite, but you see, there is this executive in a small, smoky office with no windows who waits to find out what shows I like. Then he cancels them just to mess with me. Someday I will find him... SOMEDAY!!!!!!!

Excuse the outburst. Anyway, there was one episode with David Byrne, and he had a pedal steeler who was all over the place. He had a rack of effects that was taller than his guitar. He never played a trad lick, but used it as an ambient instrument with these almost synth sounds, and he filled the songs in with texture. It was a very cool approach. I am not sure who he was, but he may have very well been one of the names already mentioned on here.

I gotta go, I have a lead on that exec!

Jason

Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 27 April 2005 07:43 AM     profile     
yes Jason,
I think you are referring to Mr. Bruce Kaphan
http://www.brucekaphan.com

but infortunately I have no idea of music they played togheter
you know David Byrne played very different style of music ... (that often, personally... sorry, I dislike)

thanks
giorgio

Kevin Macneil Brown
Member

From: Montpelier, VT, USA

posted 28 April 2005 02:26 PM     profile     
I just listened--a rainy afternoon here, perfect for it--to Jim Fox's piece "Last Things"
Some deep and harmonically stunning pedal steel from Chas Smith...Have you heard that one, Giorgio?
Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 29 April 2005 01:09 AM     profile     
No Kevin, never listened ...
btw do you suggest some MP3 of Jim Fox ? ... you know ... buying CD is expensive ... I would like to check before

thanks
giorgio http://solyaris.altervista.org

Dave Boothroyd
Member

From: The Malvern Hills

posted 29 April 2005 02:53 PM     profile     
I do recommend you listen to Chas Smith- he is a forum member here.
As well as playing steel very creatively, he makes some very experimental and ethereal music on strange, but beautiful devices that he designs and makes himself.
Here's some information about him:- http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/smith.chas.html

------------------
Cheers!
Dave

Giorgio Robino
Member

From: Genova, Italy

posted 29 April 2005 03:32 PM     profile     
Hi Dave,
of course I know Chas Smith !
In ambient music / deep listening area also in Europe he's a kind of "mith" !!!
http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/smith.chas.html

Please I need to know more more pedal steel artists! :)

thank you & regards
giorgio

John McClung
Member

From: Los Angeles, CA, USA

posted 30 April 2005 05:00 PM     profile     
I can't believe no one's mentioned Mike Perlowin in the realm of creative, outside-the-box steel guitar. Check out his CD's "Firebird Suite" and "West Side Story," I believe both are available from the Forum, so buy from Bobby Lee, please.

He also plays a wrist lever like no one else, and is killer on rock guitar and mandolin.

------------------
E9 lessons
Mullen D-12/MSA D-12/Sho-Bud Pro 1 S-12/Melobar/Webb/Profex II

Drew Howard
Member

From: Mason, MI, U.S.A.

posted 30 April 2005 05:08 PM     profile     
I like this thread!

------------------

Drew Howard - website - Fessenden D-10 8/8, Fessenden SD-12 5/5 (Ext E9), Magnatone S-8, N400's, BOSS RV-3

Charlie McDonald
Member

From: Lubbock, Texas, USA

posted 04 May 2005 06:53 AM     profile     
I actually think the steel player associated with Brian Eno is Harold Budd.
Bob Hoffnar
Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

posted 04 May 2005 08:28 AM     profile     
If I remember right. Harold Budd is a composer and not a steel player. I think he wrote a piece for Harp and Pedalsteel played by BJ Cole a while back.

One guess for the steel player on the Eno stuff would be Daniel Lanois. I'm not positive about that though.

Anybody know BJ out there so we can get the inside poop ?

------------------
Bob
intonation help



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