I've heard the term "sacred steel"...

Peter Goeden · From: Aspen Hill, Maryland, USA

Could anybody tell me what this refers to and where it originated? Thanks, Peter Goeden, Annapolis, MD

Dylan Schorer · From: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Sacred Steel is a style of playing gospel music on lap- and pedal-steel that came out of the Church of God. It was sort of parallel evoutionary path for steel guitar started by Willie Eason in the 1930s, that was just recently was exposed to those outside the church when Arhoolie Records started putting out a Sacred Steel albums in the 90's. The most popular modern players that are building on this style are the Cambell Brothers and Robert Randolph. http://www.campbellbrothers.com/ http://www.robertrandolph.net/

Check out this albums to hear several of the great old-school players: http://www.arhoolie.com/titles/450.shtml

You can find more info here: http://blues.about.com/cs/history/a/aa101603steel.htm

Nicholas Dedring · From: Beacon, New York, USA

If you want to hear pedal steel, played in a more traditional House of God style, I would recommend listening to Sonny Treadway way before I would recommend Robert Randolph. RR is from the training of the sacred steel tradition, and uses the tuning, but has a much more jam band/funk quality. Treadway is along the lines of what you'd hear in a house of god service... Arhoolie has compilation discs that are well worth it. More lap steel on them than pedal, but the first comp disc in the series has a whole bunch of live tracks from worship services that are pretty intense.

Dylan Schorer · From: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Yeah, all the traditional pioneers are on the Arhoolie album linked above. Sonny Treadway is amazing. And, it doesn't get any better than Aubrey Ghent.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

Yep ! Aubrey Ghent is as good to you as he is for ya'

the Arhoolie Sacred Steel CDs are quite recommendable:
1) Traditional Sacred African American Steel Guitar Musik
ref: CD 450
2)Sacred Steel "Live"
ref: CD 472

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

B.B.King calls his guitar,"Lucille". If I were Aubrey Ghent,I would call my guitar,"Aretha",'cause that's who he reminds of,when he plays. Ghent gets more "soul" out of ONE string,than some guys playin' chords.
Do yourself a big favor,& check him out.

------------------

  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Peter, good advice above. My daughter gave me this Arhoolie CD 450 back in 1998...long before Robert Randolf came on the music scene.

The CD liner alone is worth the cost of the CD because it contains 31 pages
of Sacred Steel history and pictures of Sacred Steel players, all the way back to the 1940's.

www.genejones.com

Forum Index > Steel Players		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: