Jerry Garcia

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 29 Jan 2008 10:05 am

'Came across this today. Jerry G on Pedal Steel starting ~4:30.
~pb

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZqojMCKNagg

Barry Scott · Post by **Barry Scott** » 29 Jan 2008 10:34 am

I guess I'm gonna open myself up to "what do you know...you're just the new guy?" but I have to say that I'm not particularly a fan of J.G. either way, but ALL of you can hum those steel breaks from "Teach Your Children" in your heads. That song alone did alot to promote the instrument to a wider audience. And it's true that you don't have to be a virtuoso to make great music. OK...I'll take my beating from all of you now. Peace

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 29 Jan 2008 2:59 pm

Not from me. I'm with you all the way.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 29 Jan 2008 6:36 pm

Jerry Garcia WAS the best steel player ever, to a lot of folks. And you know what? They're right! No point arguing, to those who think he was the greatest, HE WAS!!! And God bless 'em, too!

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 29 Jan 2008 9:21 pm

I miss him...he was very musical, and was content to exist outside the box. I'm thankful for what he left. Like others too soon gone, it makes me wonder what else would've come...

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 30 Jan 2008 9:50 am

Stephen Gambrell wrote:Jerry Garcia WAS the best steel player ever, to a lot of folks. And you know what? They're right! No point arguing, to those who think he was the greatest, HE WAS!!! And God bless 'em, too!

Steve, you're right. But I'm still bothered by the "If this guy Lloyd Green is so good, how come I've never heard of him and why didn't CSNY hire him instead of Jerry" comments.

I think (with my usual 20-20 hindsight) that since so many of these people are into rock to the exclusion of everything else, the best way to attempt to educate these people is to turn them on the Paul Franklin's recordings with Dire Straits. Do you agree?

I wish Jerry were still alive. I bet he'd be an active member of this forum.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 30 Jan 2008 4:27 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote: I wish Jerry were still alive. I bet he'd be an active member of this forum.

I doubt it, Pearl. He would have gotten tired of responding to posts ridiculing his playing, or the choice of people he played with, i.e., CSN&Y. He'd get tired of saying,"I KNOW that_____________ is a better steel player than I am. I am intrigued by the sound of the pedal steel guitar, and these guys I know asked me to play it on their record." Of course, this is only conjecture on my part, since Jerry is no longer with us.
But Robert Randolph is, and I don't recall a single post from him.
And NOBODY questions whether Stravinsky, or Leonard Bernstein, needs to be played on a steel, do they, Perlie???

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 30 Jan 2008 6:29 pm

Stephen Gambrell wrote: NOBODY questions whether Stravinsky, or Leonard Bernstein, needs to be played on a steel, do they?

This thread is about Jerry, not me, so let's stay on topic, OK?

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 30 Jan 2008 7:05 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote:
Stephen Gambrell wrote: NOBODY questions whether Stravinsky, or Leonard Bernstein, needs to be played on a steel, do they?

This thread is about Jerry, not me, so let's stay on topic, OK?

It's not about Lloyd Green either, is it?

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 30 Jan 2008 10:50 pm

Lordy,Lordy,This has gone downhill like a snow ball heading to hell,all because I mentioned a neat quote made by Jerry,even if he was accused of plagiarism[which may be true]If you love the man,fine,if you can't stand him,that's fine to,why jump on each other like a rooster on a june bug over something this trivial?If you want to fight,do it about something real important,like the best way to TUNE a steel guitar,that always gets the fur flying.DYKBC.

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 30 Jan 2008 11:58 pm

George Redmon · Post by **George Redmon** » 31 Jan 2008 7:50 am

"There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself."
Johann Sebastian Bach

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 31 Jan 2008 9:03 am

One thing that interests me about the JG threads, and some of the RR pile-ons as well, is the seeming confusion of fan response or commentary with the players themselves.

Uneducated or unexposed (steel-wise) fans who think Garcia, or Robert, was the best ever are not speaking for the men themselves, and it puzzles me that the players get painted with the brush their more rabid fans are holding. It's well documented that Jerry considered himself a fledgling steeler and was gently bemused with the adulation he got. I think the relative merits of their playing or historical contribution are an entirely separate issue from fan ravings.

Toy Caldwell used to come sit in with a band I played with in N.C., and we'd talk steel- I remember him saying "Shucks, I ain't much of a steel player, can't hardly keep it in tune. But the folks sure love it". Of course, he was pretty baked at the time...

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 31 Jan 2008 3:24 pm

He only dabbled with pedal steel. He stopped playing because he wasnt up to the committment. I read that somewhere.

I saw him play in San Francisco with Hot Tuna. It was a fun band but "A Great Steel Player" I don't think so.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 2 Feb 2008 5:29 pm

That must have been cool. I saw Jerry perform with a number of different folks, but never with Hot Tuna.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Jerry Garcia

Jerry was a telented musician