Steel: The Steel Guitar Podcast The Fretboard Journal

For Episode 7 of Steel, we catch up with legendary L.A. steel player Greg Leisz. Greg’s steel playing has graced recordings with iconic artists like Bill Frisell, Joni Mitchell, Beck, Mark Knopfler, Phoebe Bridgers, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and many more. He's renowned for his ability to bring depth and emotions to recordings with his touch, tone and occasionally minimalist musical sense. 
Greg and I discuss his musical journey, from high school garage bands and learning steel in honky tonk bars to becoming a first-call session player in Los Angeles. 
To learn more about Greg, check out Fretboard Journal #33 or check the following links:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Leisz
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MG1pGbqGltH79LxIYjVyN?si=6ffd82c09253448d
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWufFmO9oJAnT9dgMh4rgJwA8
- https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fj-33
Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal. 
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: 
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
 
 

For episode 6 of Steel, we travel to Toronto to meet Christine Bougie.
Christine is a guitarist and lap steel player who has shared the stage and studio with folks like Bahamas, Sarah Harmer, Amy Milan, the Queer Songbook Orchestra and Jeremy Dutcher. Christine just released 'Soft Start,' an album of gorgeous ambient music. 

In our chat, Christine breaks down her musical journey, from learning to record as a teenager with the two cassette records, to how a few choice words from Bill Frisell inspired her to record her own music, how the lap steel became part of her life and how she used the steel to create lush textures on her ambient album.

To learn more about Christine and find her music, check out the following links:

- https://www.christinebougie.ca/

- https://christinebougie.bandcamp.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/christinebougie/?hl=en

- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1SZin6f4Z3SLnRWp7Bhv4r?si=ab46bc4dc9934f05

- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWue8AScjx7r6kWBHED7GDDHL

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: 

https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

On this episode, we speak with Kashiah Hunter, a wonderful sacred steel player based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Sacred steel is an incredible form of gospel music played in House of God Pentecostal churches across the United States and the center of this rich musical tradition is the steel guitar. Kashiah's deeply expressive, lyrical playing is a hallmark of the sacred steel style.
Kashiah plays steel in the New Mercy, New Beginnings, New Victory Ministries church in Georgia, but I was lucky enough to catch up with him when he was in town to play the Brooklyn Folk Fest. We dig into Kashiah's musical history, how he "borrowed" his first steel guitar from his cousin and learned by playing along to cassette recordings of church services, and how emotion is the center of his musical practice.
To learn more about Kashiah and his playing, check out the following links: https://www.instagram.com/kashiah_hunter/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucU6XzOjASCeY3sXWso-NLk
Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal network of podcasts. 
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
 

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar.
For Episode 4, we speak with Jeff Snyder, a musician, composer and instrument designer about his fascinating new creation, the Electrosteel pedal steel synthesizer. The Electrosteel feels like a pedal steel, but has capabilities and a sonic palette that are a long way from your grandpa's Sho-Bud.
Jeff tells us about his life as a musician, a composer, and instrument designer; his work as Director of Electronic Music at Princeton University; and, of course, we take a deep dive into the genesis, design, and inner workings of this fascinating new instrument.
To learn more about Jeff, his instruments and his music, check out the following links:
https://www.scattershot.org/
https://snyderphonics.com/
https://music.princeton.edu/people/jeff-snyder/
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWudTXgKOeZZBgIlKcK2qtU4d
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0am8PdaT3pLwrHQvNIgNxs?si=8967cdca13ad457b
Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal network of podcasts.
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal here: 
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
 

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar.
On Episode 3, we chat with Steve Fishell, a pedal steel player, a Grammy-winning record producer, and the author of the biography 'Buddy Emmons: Steel Guitar Icon.'
Steve held down the steel guitar chair in the '80s incarnation of Emmylou Harris' Hot Band and has recorded with the likes of Dolly Parton, John Prine, Sam Bush, and Linda Ronstadt. We discuss coming up in the 1970s California country rock scene, cutting his teeth in the recording studio, Buddy Emmons' impact on the pedal steel, and more.
You can find Steve's book and samples of his playing at the links below:
- https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p086786
- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWudoKf4GZ_E31rvU_CqQnKGp
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/16einqMwN2QkL5ZC7HutqF
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: 
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription 
 

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar.
For our second episode, we speak with Raphael McGregor, one of New York's most interesting steel guitar players. Raphael has shared stages with the likes of The Brain Cloud, Nation Beat, Jason Loughlin, Grant Gordy, Noam Pikelny, and Matt Munisteri.
Raphael's musical sensibility and technical style give him a really unique lap steel sound. We dig into his musical beginnings, his steel guitar journey, and more. He is also an organizer of the Steel Guitar Unconvention in Brooklyn, NY.
Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick. To learn more about Raph and his music, check out the following links:
https://raphaelmcgregor.com

https://www.instagram.com/raphaelmcgregor/
https://steelguitarunconvention.com
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JmCz8r2sv1OdFHOvyr7am?si=fe4c254743464759
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWuccvVEvgJlHeKvSUgDsG838&si=zhVmBW4KAK2--pEP
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription