Neuguitars 2024 #7: Pedal Steel's cultural dimorphism: “Luke Schneider Presents Imaginational Anthem vol. XI : Chrome Universal - A Survey of Modern Pedal Steel”
I believe that the guitar can very well be represented as an excellent example of cultural dimorphism. Over the centuries it has amply demonstrated that it has always been able to evolve and modify its appearance and sound following changes in societies, cultures and technologies.
Let's take Pedal Steel for example. The Pedal Steel is a console-style steel guitar with pedals and levers that change the tone of some strings, allowing it to play a considerable number of glissandi and deep vibratos. Its use is most commonly associated with American country music and Hawaiian music. From its first use in Hawaii in the 19th century, the steel guitar sound became popular in the United States in the first half of the 20th century and spawned a family of instruments designed specifically to be played with the guitar in a horizontal position, also known as "style Hawaiian". The first instrument in this chronology was the Hawaiian guitar also called lap steel; then there was a lap steel with a resonator to make it louder, initially made by National and Dobro Corporation. The electric guitar pickup was invented in 1934, allowing guitars to be amplified, allowing for the subsequent development of the electrified lap steel, then the console steel and finally the pedal steel guitar.
Playing pedal steel requires unusual physical demands for a guitarist, requiring simultaneous coordination of both hands, both feet, and both knees (the knees operate the levers on the medial and lateral sides of each knee). Pioneers in the development of the instrument include Buddy Emmons, Jimmy Day, Bud Isaacs, Zane Beck, and Paul Bigsby. In addition to American country music, the instrument has been used in sacred music in the eastern and southern United States (called Sacred Steel), in jazz, and in Nigerian music. And not only.
In 2022 the independent record company Tompkins Square released this album: “Luke Schneider Presents Imaginational Anthem vol. XI: Chrome Universal - A Survey of Modern Pedal Steel”, entirely dedicated to this instrument.
The “Imaginational Athem” CD series was created in 2005, with the goal of introducing old acoustic guitar heroes to young audiences, shedding light on more than a few dark corners of acoustic guitar history. The albums' music includes raga-style rhapsodies, folk- and blues-derived fingerpicking, abstract impressionism, avant-garde improvisation, acoustic ambient textures, and a number of other distinctive guitar innovations. Indie rockers, experimental jazz musicians, seasoned folk and mysterious outsider artists have found a place in the series.
The eleventh volume in the series is curated by Nashville pedal steel artist and Third Man Luke Schneider, and features exclusive songs from legend BJ Cole, as well as leading exponents of the instrument including Susan Alcorn, Luke himself and the expatriate British Spencer Cullum, among others.
This album shows us a further evolution of Pedal Steel, in an ambient key. The artists of this compilation: BJ Cole, Jonny Lam, Rocco Deluca, Luke Schneider, Spencer Cullum, Barry Walker Jr., Susan Alcorn, Maggie Bjorkland and Will Van Horn have managed to create a new artistic dimension for Pedal Steel by exploiting its technical features. The use of long glissades and the possibility of superimposing layers and textures of different sounds have transformed this instrument, guaranteeing it new artistic possibilities and making it break away from consolidated traditions. The ambient genre seems to be Pedal Steel's new home. His technical ability to create light, dreamy, sustained sounds has inspired a new class of virtuosos to expand his semantic and artistic territory. This has opened up both new scenarios for the instrument, guaranteeing it a new artistic life, and has renewed the ambient genre by providing it with new curious and alienating sounds. In fact, Pedal Steel seems to have the perfect ability to generate sounds and textures suitable for the alienating times we are living in, giving a worthy soundtrack to the post-Covid world. At the same time this collection demonstrates the remarkable ability of this series of CDs, "Imaginational Anthem", to explore the new currents that intersect between popular and research music and to continually renew itself.
More music about Pedal Steel:
Bollywood Steel Guitar by Various Artists
Bollywood Steel Guitar is the most comprehensive collection to date of Steel Guitar pop instrumental music from India. All 21 tracks featured here were Film hits from 1962-1986 and all the masters of the steel guitar sound from the period are represented: Van Shipley, Kazi Aniruddha, S. Hazarasingh, Sunil Ganguly, and Charanjit Singh.
Pedal Steel Guitar by Will Van Horn
Will Van Horn - Pedal Steel Guitar, Producer
Geoffrey Muller - Fretless Bass
Tank Lisenbe - Drums
Pedal Steel Jazz by Jim Cohen
Pedal steel guitarist, Jim Cohen, has at long last released an album of all jazz tunes. Fans are already familiar with his tasteful renditions of diverse musical styles including British Rock and Pop tunes and he has been known to cover a few Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins tunes in the past