Who is this with Townes Van Zandt?

[Marc Jenkins]

You Are Not Needed Now is an old fave, haven’t listened in forever. Love, love, love the simple a tasty pedal steel playing. Anyone know who played? Thanks!

https://youtu.be/t_poiCi0LUQ

[Ian Worley]

Wow, according to Wikipedia:

Larry Carlton – pedal steel guitar on "You Are Not Needed Now"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High,_Low_and_In_Between

[Marc Jenkins]

Is this real life? Wow.

[Steve Hinson]

The steel playing sounds like Buddy Cage to me...

SH

[Peter Freiberger]

1971, done in L.A. I think it's a young Jay Dee. Just a guess. Edit: checked with Jay Dee. He thinks it’s him too. A long time ago

[Glenn Suchan]

I can't find any session notes that indicate who played steel on TVZ's album, High, Low and In Between. And other than Ian's Wiki reference, I can't find any information that Larry Carlton plays, or has ever played the PSG. Can someone verify one way or the other?

To my knowledge, only two steel guitarists have recorded with TVZ: Jimmy Day and Irishman, Percy Robinson; my ears say it's Jimmy Day on "You Are Not Needed". In fact, I would be surprised if it wasn't. Although, in acknowledgement of Steve Hinson's indication, the percussive comping on "Standin", from the same album does sound a lot like Buddy Cage, but it doesn't have the Emmons tone that he had from that time frame.

Here is an example of Percy Robinson playing on Townes' song, "A Song For":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13S5skiB7Zc

and Jimmy Day on on Townes' song, "Brother Flower":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXvM_rxLOik


Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

[Steve Hinson]

Upon a second listening,I can hear JDM in there...

SH

[Marc Jenkins]

1971, done in L.A. I think it's a young Jay Dee. Just a guess. Edit: checked with Jay Dee. He thinks it’s him too. A long time ago

Thanks Peter!

[Ian Worley]

I have never heard that Larry Carlton played pedal steel either, but there are several references to him having played on this record - on his Wikipedia page, on discogs.com, allmusic.com. No mention of Buddy Cage, Jimmy Day, JayDee, Percy Robinson on any of those. This doesn't mean it's a fact, but more provenance than "it sounds like so and so to me". It also doesn't seem as completely implausible to me as it apparently does to everyone else. Carlton, is, ummm, a pretty good musician.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Carlton#As_sideman

https://www.allmusic.com/album/high-low ... 23/credits

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/larry-c ... 99/credits

https://www.discogs.com/Townes-Van-Zand ... ter/301541

[Olli Haavisto]

Carlton did use a Sho-Bud volume pedal in the 70´s😀