The mournful sound of pedal steel is among the most evocative in the guitar world – but notoriously hard to master. Fresh from album sessions with Mark Knopfler, steel guitar master Greg Leisz tells us what it takes…
Off to one side of the star, somewhat anonymous to the fans – such is the role of a sideman. Some so-called sidemen are impossible to ignore, however, as their touch and style on the guitar shines out of every recording they play on. Greg Leisz is such a one: rightly regarded as one of the world’s finest pedal steel players, he’s just as at home tearing it up on lap steel, Dobro, Weissenborn, mandolin and regular guitar. When we caught up with him via Zoom at his Californian home he had recently returned from London after recording with Mark Knopfler for the latter’s next album, which has yet to be announced but which may see the light of day next year.
How did the sessions with Mark Knopfler go?
“I was honoured that Mark reached out to have me join in with his long-time band. Some of them have been playing together for nearly 30 years. They have a great chemistry, which can only come from being together that long. Those guys hadn’t seen each other for over two years because of the pandemic, so it was like a reunion for them; they were very happy and Mark’s studio is fantastic. It was a really good experience.
“Mark wants everybody to come up with a part that they feel will suit the song. He’s a very good leader and totally involved. I played whatever instrument was right for the song. I didn’t really play any electric guitars, but I did use acoustic guitars, pedal steel, lap steel, Weissenborn, National resonator and also mandolin on a couple of songs. It’s all about being creative in the studio.
“Mark’s thing is having everybody playing at once. He doesn’t tell people what to play, but as you’re working on a song the direction of the track or what you play tends to change as you try to figure things out. Everybody’s basically trying to solve the same problem: ‘What’s the right thing for the song?’ Sometimes it’s discussing what’s happening before you even play it and then the first time you run through the song it ends up being the take. Other times you work on a song for a long time and then decide it needs a different drum set or bass part or whatever. But the way Mark’s studio is arranged makes it very convenient to start working on something immediately: everything is set up ready to go all the time, which is really conducive to creativity and spontaneity.”
You’ve played for everyone from Jackson Browne to k.d. lang – how did you work your way up to those big gigs?
“Back in the day it was about developing relationships with other people based on musical compatibility. You might play a gig in a bar and meet somebody and write your number on a piece of paper. Some playe
