The Steel Guitar Forum

Does anyone know where I can acquire a list of Greg's work? I'd appreciate it, I have a few things but would love to find more.

I am probably the only one that is clueless on this but, Greg who?

Greg has played steel and lap, dobro and various other slidey things on records by Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Lizz Wright and many, many others. I am sure there are other folks on here who can give you more info; I've seen him recently on at least 3 concerts.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>The word "ubiquitous" is usually placed in front of pedal steel player and guitarist Greg Leisz's name. With good reason -- the man's resumé is daunting, boasting spots with Joni Mitchell, Sheryl Crow, Peter Case, Paul Westerberg, Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Victoria Williams, Joe Cocker, Dave Alvin, k.d. lang, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Cockburn, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, and the Ventures...to name a few. Not to be pigeonholed in just roots music, Leisz (pronounced "Lees") has also played with the likes of Beck, Matthew Sweet, Bad Religion, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Brian Wilson.

Leisz spent his younger years catching acts like the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers in Southern California clubs. Part of his universal appeal -- which certainly draws on the experimental nature of those influences -- comes from an open-minded approach to lap and pedal steel, an approach that casts aside Nashville references. Leisz is also somewhat of a stylistic chameleon: You can't pin down a distinctive style for him because he chooses to serve and accompany a song rather than place his mark on it. His creativity and open-mindedness as a musician have allowed him a genre roving usually not accorded renowned steel players.

During the '90s, Leisz also began making a name for himself as a producer, helming releases by such folks as Rosie Flores, Dave Alvin, Tom Russell, and Lisa Mednick.

- Erik Hage, All Music Guide</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

For a full discography (388 releases), go here.
Personally, I'm especially fond of his work with Joni Mitchell and Bill Frisell...

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Hi All- It was said that famed Nashville studio guitarist Grady Martin never played the same lick twice. I believe the same can be said of Greg. The threads listed and the article Steinar put up state this clearly. I was fortunate enough to communicate with Greg when putting together the 'Legends Of The Incredible Lap Steel Guitar' CD (Greg was kind enough to contribute an original track that only appears on this CD and a charity CD).
Take one listen to the tracks previously mentioned or his cut "Santo's Dream" from the Legends CD and you'll realize the meaning of tone, touch, taste (not to mention composition!).
One extremely nice man on top of all that talent.
Explore his musical contributions and you'll find a lot to learn besides 'licks'
Roger Smith www.horserockrecords.com

listen to greg leisz' version of "moana chimes" on the sound track of the movie "punch drunk love", i love it...

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kay

You can see Greg perform on DVD concerts with Joni Mitchell "Painting with Words and Music" and KD Lang "Live By Request". I first encountered his playing when listening to KDs "Full Moon Full of Love" and tried transcribing the tasty piano (Michael Kreber) and steel solo / fills (Greg Leisz). Still haven't figured out that 'boo-wah' tone effect that has been talked about in other threads.

I saw Greg play with Bill Frisell a couple months ago, he mostly played a National Dynamic, and an Asher Ben Harper model.... he's someone who definitely knows how to play for the song, and as Steinar said his work with Joni Mitchell is fantastic.
Check out 'Santo's Dream' on "Legends of the incredible Lap Steel Guitar"... to me, the standout track on a great album.

Jon

Greg Leisz is definitely a major dude for me too.

I actually have a "w/Greg Leisz" playlist for my iPod. His stuff with Bill Frisell (Blues Dream, Good Dog Happy Man, The Intercontinentals) is excellent.

He also has some great rootsy Dobro cuts with Gillian Welch ("Only One and Only" off Revival and "One Monkey" and "Look at Miss Ohio" off Soul Journey).

My favorite track of his with KD Lang is "Smoke Rings" off her Drag album.

He has great taste in his playing and great taste in who he plays with!

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Steve Pierce

Greg Leisz is definitely a major dude for me too.

I actually have a "w/Greg Leisz" playlist for my iPod. His stuff with Bill Frisell (Blues Dream, Good Dog Happy Man, The Intercontinentals) is excellent.

He also has some great rootsy Dobro cuts with Gillian Welch ("Only One and Only" off Revival and "One Monkey" and "Look at Miss Ohio" off Soul Journey).

My favorite track of his with KD Lang is "Smoke Rings" off her Drag album.

He has great taste in his playing and great taste in who he plays with!

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Steve Pierce

I hope he'll do a solo album sometimes, his "Santo's Dream" proves that he's not only a great player but also a great composer.
When I got the "Legends...." CD I was still quite new to all this, had never heard about Leisz, and I remember thinking when "Santo's Dream" started playing; "Yes! That's excactly how I'd like to sound!"

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Greg is the guy who gets the call when they need someone who can tastefully play anything with strings and knows how to back up a singer. I had a call last spring for a steel guitar session for a blues tune, but after talking to the contractor, what she said they wanted was slide guitar. I probably could have given them what they wanted, but I don't want to show up and have everyone freak-out because the wrong pizza got delivered, so I gave her Greg's number and that way they got a pizza with everything.

I just spoke with Greg and told him to look at this site. He was very humbled that you all were praising his playing.
He's been on the road with Frisel and doing sessions with Ivan Neville. The guy is sooo busy!
He also had a chance to jam with Harry Manx while in Canada at their Steel Summit. I've ben telling Greg about him for a while. The two of them might record together.
I'm working on a new steel design, and I won't be satisfied untill he likes it better than that old National Dynamic of his. The one he has is magical!

When I am listening to new music and I hear a particularly distinctive, tasty and totally appropriate steel part, especially the lap steel stuff, I always think "I wonder if that is Leisz?". It almost always is. He has a unique ability to work with the tune, much like Lindley and Cashdollar, to make it sound better- better written, better arranged, more emotionally involved. I am probably not saying it right, but there are few players who I always like the work of, and those 3 are it. Lindley is, of course, my ultimate superhero in that regard; I heard him first and was directly influenced by his playing during my pre-steel days as a guitarist. As I get more interested in the slightly mellower stuff, and melody takes priority, Greg and Cindy have become the other senior members of my "do no wrong" list. I just wish I had the dough to buy all the music I am finding from these guys!

One of the keys in describing it (for me) is that when I hear Greg, unless the job is to recreate a sound, a moment in time as it were, such as doing the house band chores on the Gram Parsons tribute that I referred to in the Gillian Welch thread, Greg will be playing music free of genre or style. He comes to the music as a musician rather than as a technician. I again watched some of the Joni Mitchell thing on TV over the weekend--Ovation or Trio, I forget--and was struck by how understated so much of Greg's playing was. He never took your attention away from the music. He was part of the music. You would notice if you took him out but his contribution was so 'sonic'. Steel can be a real grandstanding attention grabber. But there's a time & place.
I learn every time I hear Greg play. I'm pissed that I was sick a few years ago when he came to an intimate setting here in Brooklyn with Frisell and I missed it.

I was given a live recording of Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz performing together in Washington a while back. The interplay between the two was marvelous. Greg really knows how to interact with other people to fit the music.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Among many 'Best unknowns', Greg is at the top of the order for me also. The 'template' for the style and tone I would want to have at my fingertips...right there with Ry, David L, and Sonny --to name a few dark horses...not muscular, they are merchants of mellifluousness.
..sorry to choke you with that word..'mel' is the root of the word 'honey' in latin--and 'fluere'= flow. JZ

Just for kicks I did a search on Greg's name on iTunes and they have Blue's Dream (from the Frisell CD) and Santo's Dream (from the Legends CD).

If I had to distill it down to one word, I'd describe Greg's playing as "Tasty"!

I once spent a month and a half of practice time just trying to learn Leisz's Weissenborn fills on the song "My Buffalo Girl" on Frisell's "Good Dog Happy Man" album. They're they kind of thing where it's not too difficult for a relative beginner to figure out what the basic notes are, but Leisz has a way with timing and flow between notes that is really sublime, which I never could (and I'm sure never will be able to) quite nail down. One of the best time investments I ever made in learning lap steel, though, for sure.

I was just listening to Greg Leisz play the lap steel on the Emmylou Harris/Dolly Parton/Linda Ronstadt version of "To Know Him Is To Love Him." From the first time I ever heard that, I think it is one of the most exquisitely beautiful pieces of lap steel playing I have ever heard in my life. I could listen to it 20 times in a row and not get tired of it.

When the Campbell Brothers were in San Francisco last week, Darick Campbell told a couple of us that they will be going to Germany, and Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz will be with them and probably do some playing with them. Darick hasn't met Greg yet and doesn't know much about his work.

I told him, "after this-you'll know him, believe me!"

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Mark
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 03 October 2005 at 12:38 PM.]</p></FONT>

i recently attended kd lang's concert featuring greg. she referred to his having " single handedly rescued pedal steel guitar from country music".

visit http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/20/features-duersten.php




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kay