Monday, January 02, 2006
Revolutionizing pedal-steel guitar
From the Newport News Daily Press
It takes a mighty musician to rescue an instrument from the scrap heap of the uncool.
That's exactly what Robert Randolph has done with the pedal steel.
Once this type of electric slide guitar was associated mostly with less-than-hip country acts Conway Twitty and Kenny Rogers. Decades later, alternative country bands like Uncle Tupelo and the Jayhawks tried to rehabilitate it, but could only put a bit of polish on a tarnished - even rusted - image.
Along came Randolph and everything changed. The young churchgoing man from New Jersey has single-handedly upended the concept of pedal steel.
Randolph, who plays The NorVa in Norfolk on Thursday, was in the studio in Nashville last week recording a new album for release next spring. Eric Clapton is set to contribute to the disc. Other possible collaborators include Lauryn Hill, Maroon 5, The Roots and Gretchen Wilson, according to Rolling Stone magazine. Producer Daniel Lanois is to work on the new album as well as Mark Batson, known for his production for Dave Matthews.
Read the article
The Daily Press
It takes a mighty musician to rescue an instrument from the scrap heap of the uncool.
That's exactly what Robert Randolph has done with the pedal steel.
Once this type of electric slide guitar was associated mostly with less-than-hip country acts Conway Twitty and Kenny Rogers. Decades later, alternative country bands like Uncle Tupelo and the Jayhawks tried to rehabilitate it, but could only put a bit of polish on a tarnished - even rusted - image.
Along came Randolph and everything changed. The young churchgoing man from New Jersey has single-handedly upended the concept of pedal steel.
Randolph, who plays The NorVa in Norfolk on Thursday, was in the studio in Nashville last week recording a new album for release next spring. Eric Clapton is set to contribute to the disc. Other possible collaborators include Lauryn Hill, Maroon 5, The Roots and Gretchen Wilson, according to Rolling Stone magazine. Producer Daniel Lanois is to work on the new album as well as Mark Batson, known for his production for Dave Matthews.
Read the article
The Daily Press
# posted by Dave Sichak @ 10:04 AM 
