52 Guitars: Week 46

November 22, 2014

52 Guitars: Week 46

Robert Randolph

There was another guy on the Crossroads 2007 DVD who played a guitar that lies flat and was pretty amazing. This is worlds away from last week's Indian music. Surprisingly, I can't find the 2007 clip on YouTube, but here's one from the 2004 festival.

He looks like he's having so damn much fun.

From 2010, something a little prettier:

Also from 2010, "Traveling Shoes":

Robert Randolph comes out of a musical tradition called Sacred Steel found in a group of Pentecostal churches which have used the steel guitar in worship since the 1930s. I found this trailer for what seems to be a documentary about some of the players, and immediately looked to see if they have it on Netflix. It's listed, but not currently available. I hope it turns up.

Maclin Horton

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4 responses to “52 Guitars: Week 46”

Janet

November 23, 2014

I’ve always thought this series was a great idea and that I would really enjoy it if I could just listen to the music, but there is rarely a time when I can do that. Either I’m at work where it’s impossible–not like my old job where I could close my door and listen to whatever I chose, or I’m in the room with Bill and he’s doing something that would be disrupted by the music.
I have had a chance to listen to the last two weeks, though, and enjoyed them both. I don’t recall ever hearing the steel guitar used for anything but country before–at least I’ve never been aware of it, although I might have heard it.
Maybe I’ll have some time over the holidays to go back and listen to some others.
AMDG

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Mac

November 23, 2014

I understand. I almost never play a video on Facebook or on someone else’s blog. With me it’s as much impatience as anything else. The net has a strange effect on me that way. I have to be pretty convinced that it’s going to be worth spending the time on.
I was thinking after I posted this that I should have posted some country thing with a lot of pedal steel, just in case anyone didn’t realize this is the same instrument.
This is not exactly the same instrument, but close enough, and it’s the weepy sound you hear in country: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97svDuqFctI

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Daniel Nichols

November 23, 2014

Wow. I had never heard of this guy or of Sacred Steel. My son Patric knew of him but did not know of the Black Pentecostal connection. Good stuff.

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Mac

November 23, 2014

There’s an album called Sacred Steel on one of the small folk labels–Arhoolie, maybe?–that features the real church-based stuff. Not nearly as virtuosic (sp?) as RR but really soulful. No doubt it’s on YouTube.:-/

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