Most innovative, experimental, unique PSG players today???

[Brian Willey]

Would love to hear who you all think are the most innovative, experimental, or unique PSG players today. It could be their techniques, the originality of their music, or their use of PSG in unexpected ways or unexpected genres, etc.

Thanks for any recommendations for players/bands! Hoping to hear some new and unexpected things.

[Lee Rider]

Susan Alcorn, who recently passed, was a great and innovative pedal steel guitar player. She was always one to give advice and share her talents. Luckily there is quite a bit of video out there with her songs. Listening to her play changed my perception of the pedal steel guitar.

[Dennis Belt]

Will Van Horn is a young guy pushing the boundaries of PSG. Check out his release San Luis Obispo.
I’m a crusty old Bakersfield sound guy, but I love his innovative, modern style.

[Ethan Shaw]

Add Gary Newcomb to the list.

[Brian Willey]

Thank you Ethan, Dennis, and Lee,

I did a quick listen to each of these, and wow, so much to dig into and each of them so different. Can't wait to explore these more. I appreciate these recommendations. Fantastic!

- Brian

[Lee Baucum]

Gary Peters!

https://www.youtube.com/@garypetersmusi ... 379/videos

[Bob Sykes]

Daniel Lanois checks all of the boxes although psg playing is not his main gig.

https://youtu.be/MvgOJFlPz4w?si=rmEV7wyzjsXFHBVb

Rig rundown
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N5x_lFyjJoQ

[Brian Willey]

Bob - that Lanois live video is amazing. Those textures! I am familiar with him as a producer of other people's work but I've never given his own music a deep dive. After watching that, I think it's time!

Lee B. - thanks for the link to the Gary Peters archive. So much cool stuff there. Hats of Poland - I dig it.

[Chris Templeton]

https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8/tapper

[Chris Templeton]

Robert Randolph.: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8/robe ... on-ms-2002

[Joseph Carlson]

Never heard of Will Van Horn before, really cool stuff he is doing with the instrument! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjuSa3_CerU

[Mike Drassler]

If you’re interested in pedal steel being applied beyond C&W, check out my Instagram page @DrassSounds where I post originals and covers by Charlie Parker, Bach, and even Michael Jackson!

[Brian Willey]

Chris T - that some smokin' playing! If you've posted any video of you playing the raised PSG I would be curious to see it.

Mike D - I'll check out your Instagram, thanks!

[Daniel Morris]

It wasn't long ago that we lost Chas Smith.
He was more like a Harry Partch or Harry Bertoia, but he built several of his instruments out of/based on steel guitars.
There are several CDs of his music on the Cold Blue label.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4IUQgU0sA4

I know she was mentioned, but I must also acknowledge Susan Alcorn. Just brilliant.

Dave Easley also comes to mind, as does the aforementioned Gary Peters.

No shortage of pedal steel guitarists coloring outside the lines...

[Chris Templeton]

No videos

[Daniel Morris]

Bob Hoffnar is another exploring out new avenues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=859OvK0j50A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czSREhcRK8Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSQ5xrSftUI

[Bobby D. Jones]

There was a Forum member Mike Perlowin RIP, A few years ago that took the steel guitar to Classical music. He has got several people into taking the steel guitar into different music fields.
Mike Perlowin on You-Tube and many of his music projects comes up.

[Lee Rider]

Greg Leisz, especially his work with Bill Frisell:

https://youtu.be/yO2CcGgIeOs?si=HpP7MobShek0Ta7w

[Jim Palenscar]

Who was the guy who did the looping stuff at Dallas this year- really good!

[Fred Treece]

Christopher Woitach is maybe not so much experimental, but he is definitely carrying on the tradition of the great jazz pedal steelers like Buddy Emmons, Maurice Anderson, Chalker, Jernigan, etc.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vnb9O8VbKMw

[Daniel Morris]

For experimental, there's also Heather Leigh.
She's done some solo albums, and began in Charalambides and Scorces.
She also toured and recorded with Peter Brotzmann.
Rather out there, but some of her own work is a bit more subdued.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUdDFMDMlXs

[Paul Awalt]

Russ Pahl...... Don't Say No!

[J D Sauser]

To me Paul Franklin is probably the most recent most influential innovator in PSG playing.
As of TODAY he might not sound as innovative to most, but only because he has done it for almost a whole career... he isn't exactly the kid with the big black hair any more.
Which is a worrying indicator that we are lacking some new influences or that our instrument is stagnating.

After PF, Robert Randolph is one whom I feel has successfully created a very unique and innovative style with quality such that he has been able to present his style to large audiences.
I wished the steel guitar community would acknowledge and embrace him much more. Because he could be an incredibly valuable ambassador of our instrument to broaden not just acceptation but also interest in our instrument. Which is essential for it's survival.

I feel ALL musicians should "experiment" with music and their instruments. After all, we call it "playing" music... we should not forget to "PLAY" with musical ideas. We always tend to become way too rigid and limit ourselves often by self-imposed "orthodoxies" of some sort.
But I must confess that I don't have much understanding or inclination for so-called "experimental" music, because it's usually called that because the "experiment" has not been successful at becoming a new style and attract a broad approval and following among listeners and instead rarely surpasses being, well, just "interesting" but often and fairly quickly only somewhat annoying or worse.

Micro-tonal and to some extend, in my opinion even "Free Jazz", were such experiments which have not found much success or enthusiasm that withstood the test of times. I think nowadays there may still be more new generations of people playing "Dixie Land"-Jazz than micro-tonal music or even so called "Free Jazz"... but then, I might be wrong.

Musically, in the past, Sol Hopii, Joaquin Murphy, Jerry Byrd, Alvino Rey, Speedy West, Buddy Emmons/Jimmy Day, Lloyd Green (and to each a handful of others of their generation) all were innovative and unique and for that they had to have been experimenting, some to a very high degree, especially in the earliest of times. But they also excelled, became rounded and perfected styles which set new standards for others to develop upon. Maurice Anderson, Zane Beck and Julian Tharpe tried each one uniquely very hard to innovate the sounds and styles in the 60's and 70's of the PSG. Curly Chalker was an other unique and avant-garde stylist, especially on C6th/Jazz, but like many made his living playing the classic styles of his times. And most of their efforts are mostly only remembered by musical nostalgics like me.

Still today, many newcomers are mostly trying to be or become "descendants" of Buddy Emmons (and a few others), few only try to become somebody to build upon what PF has shown the world. Very few.... I think less than a hand full are known.

So for the last 40 years... pretty much PF's career up to this day, we don't seem to see that steady influx of new styles, musical innovations etc. which is now historically documented over the first 6 Decades since the invention of the electric stringed instrument.

It's a very valid question to ask and a very subjective thing to discuss... I hope I didn't ruffle anybody's feathers with my thoughts... J-D.

[Fred Treece]

So for the last 40 years... pretty much PF's career up to this day, we don't seem to see that steady influx of new styles, musical innovations etc. which is now historically documented over the first 6 Decades since the invention of the electric stringed instrument.

Pedal steel has been largely removed from commercial pop and country music for 25 years running now. The opportunities for major innovative stylistic forces to emerge have gone under the radar and you only hear it if you seek it out here on the forum or by accident on You Tube or Sirius or Spotify or some similar alternative source.

No doubt, Paul Franklin, Tommy White, Mike Johnson, Gary Carter, Buck Reid, and other current giants of classic country steel guitar have always done and are still doing remarkable things with the instrument that go far beyond the genre that make them famous and make their living.

So I agree with you, JD - we can still look to them for fresh musical and steelistic ideas, though the music they play may not be as popular as it once was, and no matter what kind of music we are interested in.

This thread’s focus seemed to be directed toward the lesser known current wave of players exploring the outer limits of the instrument at least partially just for the sake of the exploration, which is maybe something all of us do to some extent when attempting to expand our own limits. To be successful at it is to be able to create actual music that grabs people’s attention. And as you said, JD, that is an elusive trick indeed.

[Daniel Morris]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/ ... xnA0gzscyY

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/arts ... uitar.html

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj37a6 ... PDpVTbJCdQ

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/07/79398980 ... mz9i8PvI8w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX5Ti33E-pU

BJ Cole on part of Scott Walker's EPIZOOTICS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ih7KzKLLWA