The Steel Guitar Forum

My personal favorite for a while now. His music is all I listen to on the trains and subways to and from work. He is the best singer I've heard, since George and Merle.
http://www.buddyandjulie.com/

And Al Perkins plays so beautifully on a lot of his stuff, as well as another picker on an old Fender pedal steel -- sorry I don't have his name. Al plays a keyless guitar -- Anapeg FWIW. Sounds great...

Why isn't he and his wife on the radio more? Guys like him give steel players a chance to have a job.

He is playing north of you Bobby-san up past Willits at the Kate Wolf Festival. And here I'm stuck in Tokyo, when he is playing so near my old home town...<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tom Quinn on 14 June 2006 at 10:16 PM.]</p></FONT>

Do you know who the band is with him at those June 23-26 dates?

Certainly one of my favorites also. Opened up for someone he was playing with several years back (I think it was Monte Warden) - also a nice guy with a shared love of cool off-kilter guitars and Magnatone amps.

Why isn't he on the radio more? Well, it's about as close to real country music as you'll find these days, IMO, but with lots of other cool influences also. That seems to be a problem right at the moment. But if that ever turns around, I think Buddy would be poised to hit the big time. We can always hope, right?

Tom and Dave,I agree 100% ! The most underrated artist in the entire country-music scene. N o b o d y in my whole life moved me like Buddy and Julie do, honestly. Buddy is a kind of universal genius to me - as a singer, guitarplayer, songwriter and producer. They definately deserve much more attention !!
(doing the best I can over here in Europe)
As Steve Earle mentioned: Buddy Miller is the greatest countrysinger alive. Nothing to add.
www.martinhuch.de

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Sorry I forgot to say: The other steelplayer is
Steve Fishell on a Fender 400. Sneeeeaky sounding......

Buddy Miller-right there at the top of my list!

Also at the Kate Wolf Memorial Festival (in Laytonville, right off 101, about a 3 hour drive north of San Francisco-if you aren't driving there during rush hour) for the 2nd year in a row:

The Campbell Brothers (and apparently singer/songwriter Greg Brown will be playing with them)
www.katewolf.com

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Mark

Buddy is an old friend and he let me play upright bass for him on a couple of gigs last year when he was opening for Emmylou...she allowed me to play (and sing) with her on a few numbers as well...one of the highlights of my life...he is the nicest guy in the world.

I always wanted to sing -- I mean I sing, but not like that. I have listened to his songs over and over and over. The production, picking and singing are...perfect!

which record is steve fishell on as his website has alot of credits pending ... coming soon

If I recall correctly, Steve Fishell plays on the Buddy Miller's record, "Cruel Moon". I seem to recall there is another steeler on that record, and I think it's Al Perkins (?). That's a great record. I saw Buddy Miller play with Emmylou at the Filmore in S.F. on the Spyboy tour. That was a great band: Buddy Miller, Brian Blade, and Daryl Johnson. That tour came out after the "Wrecking Ball" record, and Buddy Miller did a great job copping the Lanois guitar atmosphere. It's funny how all those players web-out to a slew of great artist.....I've heard the Emmylou/Miller team called part of the alt. Nashville music group, which also includes Steve Earl. Lanois did some great Dylan albums, with great players on those records like Cindy Cashdollar, and I think Steve Fishell. Brian Blade is an awsome drummer, and plays on tthe recent Wayne Shorter record, "Allegra". I think some are looking at Brian Blade as the closest drummer we've got right now to Elvin Jones (I think he's pretty good, but he ain't Elvin Jones!).

They're the real deal. Julie lived an incredibly tough life for a while. Her lyrics are as spiritually profound as any I've ever heard. Both are great artists. Together they're amazing. I don't know anyone who doesn't fall in love with their music once they've been introduced to it.

Steve Fishell is also on Poison Love. As is Al Perkins, Emmylou, Brian Blade, etc... Another great record!<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mac Martine on 16 June 2006 at 11:55 PM.]</p></FONT>

http://mixonline.com/recording/projects/audio_country_meets_soul/

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<font size=1><I>“I always knew that there was something out there that I needed to get to.
And it wasn't where I was at that particular moment."</I>
-Bob Dylan
</font>

I played in a band with Buddy briefly when he lived in San Francisco, and then on a couple of tours with Jim Lauderdale. He is a great guy and has excellent taste. I'm happy for his success. Every now and then, being a nice guy pays off!

First time I saw Buddy was 1974 in "St. Elmo's Fire" a great NJ band. I played with him about 10 years ago in Long Valley, NJ. "Spy Boy" knocks me out. Buddy is a real talent.

Hey Buck, do you know if the steeler with St. Elmo's Fire (I think his name was Tim Conway) is still playing around NJ?

This topic's been sleeping for a while but I see that Robert Plant's Band of Joy album is showing up at or near the top of a lot of year-end "Best Of" roundups, and Buddy's his main man these days. It's good to see.

Question posed at the top of the thread:

Why isn't he and his wife on the radio more?

He's grey-haired and a bit on the pudgy side and he's pushing sixty, and maybe nothing more need be said about that. None of those are consistent with being a music star these days.

I can scan the dial on the car radio any time of day and it's about 50/50 that I'll find a Led Zeppelin song on one of the classic rock stations. But radio isn't playing Band of Joy either. (Robert still looks pretty slim and trim, but he's on the back side of 60 now and showing a lot of grey himself.)

There's an old interview online where Buddy says that he waited so late in life to start a solo career because he didn't want to go from door to door asking labels for a deal. Eventually Hightone Records called him and asked him if he wanted to make a record, but even then he didn't really believe that people would want to buy it and listen to it.

I guess he's just happy to make his living in music, even as a sideman and producer, and there are fewer and fewer musicians who can make that claim these days. But he and Julie have still put together quite a discography over the past 15 years or so.

I've had Poison Love on lately and I've really been digging Buddy and Jim Lauderdale tearin' it up on "Love in the Ruins." Now that's a song! And a double bonus for the Walker Percy reference.

There's plenty of Al Perkin on that one. I don't know how prolific Al is compared to other session pedal steel players, but among the music that I like the best he shows up the most often for sure. And Steve Fishell also gets a quick but very tasty solo in on "Don't Ask Me."

I played w/Buddy in a some bands around L.A. in the mid 90s including Jim Lauderdale's band and Buddy's the real deal. He's one of the few of a dying breed I'm afraid.

Martin Huch wrote:The most underrated artist in the entire country-music scene.

Just for his sensible guitar collection alone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saJYPsnKESM

Buddy knows tone for sure. And check out "Satisfied Mind" with Darrell Scott taking the lead, and Buddy, Robert, and Patty Griffin backing him up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GT1pZD8y70

I just found a listing for the short east coast tour they're starting next month. Three NC shows! I might have to drag my weary bones out for at least one of those. I'd love to hear those cats even without Mr. Squeeze My Lemon.

Love this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T0qdrf1_Cs

Darrell Scott doubles on pedal steel and I like it. I didn't know he played. Is that a Sho-Bud LDG he's got there?

I kinda miss hearing Bonzo's squeaky Speed King though.

This'll be a real treat

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/bl ... e-majestic

Buddy,Used to have an Emmons.

Yeah, Buddy Miller is a rare cat. Everything he does has some artistic merit. It's no wonder he ended up working with so many great, great musicians, singers and producers.

Saw Buddy play at Great American Music Hall in SF, 2009, and Robert Plant sat in. They did Sea of Heartbreak, among others. Mind blowingly fun.