Lots of great new music featuring lap steel

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 1 Mar 2013 9:15 am

I been checking out a bunch of new music recorded by steel players, many who are members here, and it is inspiring.

Steve Cunningham, has a great new CD called By Way of String that features excellent playing on steel and guitar. Steve has his own unique style that is just balls-out, but he has a great touch and really exciting style, as I'm sure you've heard. http://www.stevecunningham.net/

Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner's "Tripti" is an excellent adventure into Indian music, but yet it manages to retain elements of American music, even when he is deep into improvising over an Indian rhythm section. Highly recommended.
http://mike-slo-mo-brenner.bandcamp.com/album/tripti

Chris Templeton's "The Tapper" is an incredible display of musicianship. Chris plays pedal steel, lap steel, resophonic guitar and a unique instrument he calls Tapper, which is a neck on a pedal steel played by fretting with his fingers. This CD rocks and has its beautiful moments as well, as well as featuring many superb musicians, such as Buddy Emmons, Victor Wooten, John Ely, Robert Randolph, Chuck Campbell, and others. Chris has a great sense of humor and sometimes I wonder "wtf did he just do there?" He also has a Leo Kottke-esque spoken word thing going on.
http://thetapper.bandcamp.com/album/the-tapper

Raphael McGregor has a new CD out called Fretless, which I'm trying to buy a copy of. Check out some tracks here: http://soundcloud.com/raphael-mcgregor/sets/fretless

I also want to mention Dave Easley's recording, "A Time of the Signs". I reallly dig this record--it has a real Jerry Garcia vibe to it and Dave is a very unique musician with a great sense of humor. Many of the sounds are created with steel guitar and I believe a MIDI pickup, such as organ and strings and some brass. He plays excellent guitar, too. Recommended highly. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/daveeasley

Jim Cohen's CD "Pedal Steel Jazz", although pedal steel, is an exciting and enjoyable listen. Jim used a very good rhythm section and it makes a big difference. Jim has great phrasing, too. Also, there are a few notable guests on the record, like Jimmy Bruno, Chuck Campbell (damn, he gets around), Lucky Oceans, Maurice Anderson, and others. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jimcohen2

Tony Lombardo · Post by **Tony Lombardo** » 1 Mar 2013 9:48 am

I will definitely look into some of those, and I will continue to look forward to your future recording.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 2 Mar 2013 9:34 pm

Joel Paterson has a new record out, too, called Handful of Strings, which features his guitar and lap steel. I haven't heard it yet, but it's next on my list from CD Baby! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/joelpaterson2

Steve Cunningham · Post by **Steve Cunningham** » 2 Mar 2013 10:39 pm

Thanks for the plug Mike...I look forward to checking the other stuff out too.
Dave Easely just played with my buddy Col. Bruce Hampton...he played some pretty scary, atonal stuff. A very unique player.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 3 Mar 2013 3:56 am

There seem to be two distinct strains of C6th pedal playing - one is the highly controlled, chordal-based stuff, with the pedal work very firmly integrated into the licks - Chalker, Jernigan, what I've heard of Paul Franklin's C6th. And the other style is the balls-to-the-walls, let's-see-what-happens-next style - the best (and almost only?) examples being Buddy Emmons and Dave Easley. Like, if you stopped Doug Jernigan in the middle of a solo and asked him what he was doing, he'd know, and if you stopped Dave, he'd be like "Why'd you stop me? I was just getting somewhere..."

Then again, as Mr. Franklin has posted, we rarely if ever get to hear most people when they're not on a job.

Ga McDonnell · Post by **Ga McDonnell** » 3 Mar 2013 6:54 am

The biggest contrast in jazz oriented playing is between the died-in-the-wool non-pedal players and the pedal guys. Most non-pedal jazz sounds like it should have a ukulele rhythm section and some hula dancers in the background. Seems like all lap/non-pedal C6/A6/E6 playing is rooted somewhere on Waikiki, and it never moved too far away.

On the other hand the pedal guys can translate their style to non-pedal and sound authentic. It's a mindset. It's there or it's not. Obviously, just my opinion.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 3 Mar 2013 7:39 am

Most jazz oriented musicians have opted for the pedal steel, I think, because of all the harmonic possibilities. I think you'll see more hip non-pedal playing over the next few years.

Yeah, pedal players usually have more chops, etc., but their jazz can sound schlocky, too. Non-pedal can sound hipper than pedal steel, in the right hands. Sometimes more is too much and a lot of pedal players haven't figured that out.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 3 Mar 2013 3:10 pm

I bought the Joel Peterson album and like it a lot. Its a very nice mix of Charlie Christian, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Tinny Grimes and Freddie King guitar style with some Speedy West steel. I really like is use of the volume pedal on steel for chords. Its very vintage but he do it with is on twist making the album interesting and very fun to listen.

For the pedal steel VS lap steel discussion, I think that the big strength of the non pedal is is weaks. The fact that you cant play full chords make you play 2-3 notes chords with the important intervals like Freddie Green, and its what sound the best most of the time in a band. It also force you to work more on your phrasing with the left hand making you sound more like a vocal, what every swing player should try to do. I'm thinking of buying a pedal steel but for a completely different style, I think that pedal steel is just a completely different instrument that lap steel.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 3 Mar 2013 4:03 pm

The Joel's Blue Steel Serenade track is a very nice example of how bluesy C6 can be. (I suppose its C6).

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 3 Mar 2013 5:16 pm

Good to see your comments on the new stuff, Mike, there's actually so much recently that I can't keep up, how cool is that?!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 5 Mar 2013 5:27 am

The Neighborhood Trio featuring Dan Schwartz is also excellent. Acoustic steel, bass and vibes, the group plays original music and has a great groove and vibe (no pun intended) throughout. And look, it's on sale: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/theneighborhoodtrio

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 5 Mar 2013 7:38 am

There is a new CD out by "The Slide Brothers", Calvin Cooke, Darick Campbell, Chuck Campbell, Aubrey Ghent...produced by Robert Randolph that is making a few waves now....
http://www.slidebrothers.com/

Mike Brenner · Post by **Mike Brenner** » 5 Mar 2013 11:41 am

thanks for the plug Mike!

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 5 Mar 2013 3:06 pm

Don't forget Chris Combs with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. Their latest release Race Riot Suite is quite ambitious.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 5 Mar 2013 4:28 pm

Chris Templeton is totally off the hook! If Zappa were around, Chris would be the man for the steel seat in the Mothers.

I can't believe we've not heard of him before (at least, I hadn't). I did a Google search of him and he is listed in Lorene Ruymar's "History of Hawaiian Steel Guitar" book. Huge surprise there too!

John Mulligan · Post by **John Mulligan** » 6 Mar 2013 3:27 pm

While we're on the subject, you might want to check out 3 Metre Day, a trio with Don Rooke on lap steel. They have a great sound, very understated.
http://www.threemetreday.com/about.html

Ian McLatchie · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 7 Mar 2013 10:20 am

I'm also a big fan of Three Metre Day and their alter ego, The Henrys. Another Toronto player with a fresh approach to the instrument is Christine Bougie. Video and audio clips here:

http://www.christinebougie.com/about/

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 7 Mar 2013 10:57 am

Don't forget Chris Combs with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.

Holy cow. I need to get out more. I honestly thought I was the only person in the world who thought playing Beethoven's Sixth on a steel guitar was a good idea. And these guys kill it. A very large percentage of the greatest steel guitarists in the world aren't here posting on the forum - easy to forget. I wonder what they do all day?

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/23224/J ... 2-Oklahoma

http://jfjo.com/projects/ludwig/

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 7 Mar 2013 2:30 pm

Ian McLatchie wrote:I'm also a big fan of Three Metre Day and their alter ego, The Henrys. Another Toronto player with a fresh approach to the instrument is Christine Bougie. Video and audio clips here:

http://www.christinebougie.com/about/

And then there is Torontonian Myk Freedman and his Saint Dirt Elementary School--very interesting new music.

Ian McLatchie · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 7 Mar 2013 6:22 pm

And then there is Torontonian Myk Freedman and his Saint Dirt Elementary School--very interesting new music.

Yes, indeed! I used to go see them at the Tranzac Club in Toronto - the same club where Christine Bougie also has a regular gig. Myk was the first person I saw using a Sierra Lap Top and his playing really whetted my appetite for one.

Mike Ihde · Post by **Mike Ihde** » 8 Mar 2013 11:24 pm

And don't for get my recent CD called, "Running Laps" available at http://mikeihde.com/pubs.htm