Who's Greg Leisz?

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 9 Apr 2005 3:16 pm

I was Just watching Jeopardy and the clue was:

Greg Leisz was a virtuoso on this instrument played by using pedals.

The guy actually got it wrong saying

"what is a steel guitar?"

anyway... who is Greg Leisz?

Toby Rider · Post by **Toby Rider** » 9 Apr 2005 3:34 pm

A session musician in Los Angeles..

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 9 Apr 2005 3:58 pm

But itsn't that a little below the radar for a jeopardy question?

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 9 Apr 2005 4:07 pm

Guess that depends on the level the guy was on...
Greg Leisz has been a regular sideman for some pretty high profile names, like Joni Mitchell, Bill Frisell and k.d.lang.

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Rich Weiss · Post by **Rich Weiss** » 9 Apr 2005 4:27 pm

The guy who wrote the question must be from L.A. and knew of Greg's work. BTW, that particular Jeopardy episode is about a year and a half old.[This message was edited by Rich Weiss on 10 April 2005 at 03:20 PM.]

Adrienne Clasky · Post by **Adrienne Clasky** » 10 Apr 2005 9:07 am

Greg Leisz is Bill Frisell's choice for pedal steel on many of his CD's. The exciting thing about their work together is the way Frisell merges jazz and "classic country" sounds, creating a sound no one else has. I love Leisz. (LOL, can you tell?) Also, Frisell used Leisz in his band The Intercontinentels, a sort of world music band, with players from Africa, Greece, Brazil and so forth. Leisz plays pedal and lap on that.

I cannot believe he was on a Jeopardy question. You've made my day!

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 10 Apr 2005 12:50 pm

You can read about him in Andy Volk's Lap Steel book.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 10 Apr 2005 1:00 pm

I've only seen/heard Greg on TV but it's remarkable how many times I've seen him. Joni Mitchell, Bill Frisell, k.d.lang, house steel with Emmylou on a Gram Parsons tribute, and I think there's more but I can't think now. Pedal steel, lap steel and reso. He can play straight up country but he is a musician--he plays music. I admire him hugely.
Jeopardy, eh? Cool!

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 10 Apr 2005 3:11 pm

Jeopardy

What is Vanna White's day gig?

Jason Weaver · Post by **Jason Weaver** » 10 Apr 2005 4:06 pm

I am a bit of a Frisell fiend, and Greg Leisz was the main spark for me getting in to pedal steel.

My first time seeing Frisell & Leisz (in the quartet with Viktor Krauss and Kenny Wolleson) was in Boulder, CO in October of 1999. It was the first tour for Good Dog Happy Man, which was the first album to feature Greg. I was two rows back and six feet from Greg the whole night. On that tour he had a Ben Harper electric Weissenborn, a National Dynamic lap steel, and a dobro. He played his Emmons D10 and an S12 on the album, but only took the S12 out with Frisell on duo gigs.

I also got to see them in Iowa City and Chicago, although never on a duo gig.

I have some of his stuff from Whiskeytown, kd lang, and Beck as well. Great stuff!

Jason[This message was edited by Jason Weaver on 10 April 2005 at 05:09 PM.]

kbdrost · Post by **kbdrost** » 10 Apr 2005 5:31 pm

He played on the Gram Parson's live tribute album a few years back and his playing on the classic Parsons songs just knocked me out.

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Ken Drost
steelcrazy after all these years

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 10 Apr 2005 6:20 pm

I cannot believe he was on a Jeopardy question.

Neither could he....

Don Ricketson · Post by **Don Ricketson** » 10 Apr 2005 7:30 pm

Maybe I'm missing something here. If the question was "Greg Leisz was virtuoso on this insturment using pedals" and the answer was "what is steel guitar" why would that be the wrong answer??

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Mullen D10-8/5
Sho-Bud S10-3/4
Evans Amps
"Making The Stars Shine"

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 11 Apr 2005 8:25 am

Well, technically, it should be "what is a PEDAL steel guitar". I mean if you assume the person would associate the name Greg Leisz with a particular instrument; AND you particularly use the word PEDAL in the answer, that the correct question should be "Pedal steel guitar".

But hey, it was exciting enough to see that on jeopardy anyway. (of course I got it wrong! I quickly stated "uh... the... uh... harp?" when the right answer came up, my wife was reallly dissapointed. I don't think I'll ever hear the end of it!!)