Posted: 22 Jun 2014 8:17 pm
good point. Robert Randolph exploded out a niche among niche's in the sacred steel/gospel world with a sound big enough for the largest festivals. I'm really glad there is so many young cats getting their rule breaking hands on a steel guitar and making it do what they hear in their head. Would they benefit from learning the finer points of this complicated instrument? Sure, I would too. I happen to be one of those "Rock Kids" who never even saw a steel guitar growing up in NY but was cut to the bone by the sound and when I got my chance to own one, I jumped at it despite needing other things at the time. It was the same with the B3 organ. I learn by playing the thing, and my playing is band based instead of solo accompaniment which like "Chord Melody" style jazz is very hard to do. Unlike most other instruments, the Steel resides almost exclusively in most peoples minds as a Country thing...I for one would like to change that a bit.Jon Alexander wrote:Talented artists like to hear their music in different contexts.If they use steel it is to embellish,compliment,etc. that muse. They are not constrained by "traditional" perceptions of how pedal steel was utilized in the past.Scott's statement that people love the sound of it and are fascinated with its function is very real.I would only add that this cuts across age,ethnicity, and genres.As for the future,players are going to do what they will.Nobody saw Robert Randolph coming any more than they foresaw Hendrix.Good musicians will be in demand as long as people are interested in good music.