If you’ve always thought that the pedal steel guitar was only a feature of tearjerking country-western music, meet Robert Randolph. From the House of God Church to your home stereo, Randolph is reinventing the sound of the steel.
The pedal steel guitar will never be the same once the world hears what young Randolph has to offer. He is redefining the instrument, both in its perception, and in the way it’s played. Robert Randolph and the Family Band (including Randolph’s cousins, Danyel Morgan and Marcus Randolph on bass and drums respectively) take up where his mentors Calvin Cooke and Maurice “Ted” Beard left off, augmenting their bluesy gospel with rock and funk elements. Randolph was first heard on Arhoolie’s Sacred Steel compilations, but it wasn’t until 2001 when he joined up with John Medeski (of Medeski Martin & Wood) and the North Mississippi Allstars to form the supergroup known as The Word that Randolph started becoming a known presence. Despite the collaboration of heavyweights like Medeski, and the Dickinson brothers, it was Randolph’s screaming pedal steel runs that garnered all the attention. With a live album already out, and a major label studio debut on the horizon, Randolph is primed for breakout success. In Christopher Blagg’s interview, Randolph waxes nostalgic on old soul music, declares the possibility of a New Jersey All-Star benefit putting Bon Jovi and Lauryn Hill on the same stage, and discusses the not-so-innocent side of church conventions. Robert Randolph and the Family Band perform at House of Blues on July 21.
I recently reviewed the Dirty Dozen record, Medicated Magic, on which you make a guest appearance. What was it like recording with them?
Oh yeah, that went real well. Those guys have been around awhile, you know, some great horn players. They’re not just noodling around.
Have you ever played with them before, or were you at least familiar with their music?
No, man. I’d just heard about the New Orleans thing. What I do know is that I can tell great brass bands from bad brass or horn bands. They’re one of the great ones.
What did you grow up listening to?
Basically a lot of urban music. Gospel music. Growing up, I wasn’t really into music at all. When I did listen, it was played by my parents and brothers and sisters, you know? But when I turned 16, I started playing the pedal steel, and I started listening to jazz guitarists like Norman Brown. I got turned on to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and that’s when I went after that bluesy style on the pedal steel.
What made you choose the pedal steel?
Well, you know there’s a tradition of guys in my church playing it. It has a beautiful sound. Being that my family was full of singers, this was an instrument that could really sing. That was my way of singing.
If you could play with anyone, dead or alive who would it be?
Stevie Ray Vaughan. Definitely. His version of “Voodoo Chile” is the best. Better than Jimi’s. As far as singers, I’d love to have played with Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke. For living artists, I’d love to play with the Stones.
So how would you classify your style of music?
I would call it soulrock. It gets you rockin’, but it doesn’t have that total rock sound, or that all the way blues sound. It’s like that old soul music and that old rock music combined.
You wouldn’t include gospel in that categorization?
I do say gospel sometimes. We definitely play gospel. Being that I come from the church, I’m going to have that element. Some people hear the word gospel and they’re like, “Gospel? What with organs and whatnot?” Our music doesn’t fit into a certain stereotype. People are always classifying music, like if a horn player comes in, people are like “Oh, this is a jazz musician.”
Along those same lines, when people hear the word “pedal steel,” they automatically think of country/ western or white musicians.
Yeah, yeah…definitely. They’re like, “What is this, country? We don’t want to hear any of that crap.”
So you’ve had to deal with people, both black and white, raising their eyebrows at a black pedal steel player?
People can’t believe the sound that is coming from this instrument. The pedal steel in general has never been documented like it’s being now. Till recently it’s only been the slurring country style, you hear that style played, but in this context as a lead instrument, it’s not been heard.
Do you listen to any of those country pedal steel players?
Oh yeah, I listen to a lot of those guys…Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green, Speedy West, people like that. Actually, over the years I’ve gotten close with those country pedal steel guys, they’ve really been supportive. It’s not an instrument you see played on TV all the time. So it’s a positive thing to see it being played on the jam scene, the rock scene, the hip-hop scene…
Did you listen to a lot of hip-hop growing up?
Oh yeah. In my neighborhood, there was no other music. No rock ‘n’ roll being played, no blues being played, certainly no country music being played. That’s what we got.
Would you ever consider doing a pedal steel hip-hop thing?
Really what I’m trying to do is introduce the sound that I have, and also getting people acclimated again with positive music on more of a mainstream level. Everything now, especially in the hip-hop scene, is all screwed up. It’s negative. It’s about how much money you got, how many diamonds you can wear, how big your butt is, girls naked in videos. It’s hard to see that, for me as an African-American. Years ago, so many people like James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, these people sang songs about life, about how great life can be. So when you see that we started out singing these songs, and now you give people a little money, and they have to brag about it. You have to wonder where that attitude comes from.
Was your church very strict?
Yeah it is. Up until now, singers and musicians from the church couldn’t get out and do what I’m doing now. They just couldn’t. Church has strict rules.
They say the music is for God, not entertainment?
Yeah, they say that, but also, they just say music is for this church, and only should be played in this church, which is the House of God.
So did they have mixed feelings about you going out on your own?
Yeah, some of them still do. But I can only do what I’ve been doing, you know? Continuing to make people happy, and make people feel good and continue putting out a sound that’s been in our church for 60-70 years already.
It seems like it would be a good way to promote the church. Do you consider yourself an ambassador for the House of God?
No, I’m just a guy who grew up in the church trying to do great things, trying to get people thinking positive. Music makes you happy, it brings you out of a negative frame of mind. So if I could do that for people, that’s good enough for me
What do the steel guitar mentors from your church think of your breakout success?
All those guys embrace me, they tell me to go out and do it. Years ago, these guys were stars, they still have a lot of it in him. I took the giant leap to say forget being about being silenced from the church or people talking about you. Go out and do it. They really love what I’m doing. Actually I’ve had the opportunity to start my own label and help these guys put out records. Calvin Cooke’s record will be out soon.
What’s that going to sound like?
It’s great! His is more gospel and blues. Out of all of us [sacred steel players], he’s the real singer-songwriter. His record will be off the map.
You are now almost always associated with the jamband scene. Your audience is definitely several shades different than previously with the House of God. What do you think of the whole scene?
That’s the audience that we were introduced with first. The jamband scene has become huge, because there’s so much bad music being put on TV. Nobody likes that crap. Of course Britney Spears is fun when you’re in high school. Once you get to a certain age you want to embrace real musicians and real music. People like Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, there’s more true music going on in that scene. There’s still a lot of great artists out there in the mainstream, but there’s so many bad bands being put on TV. Consequently, the jamband scene has become huge. Dave Matthews [who Randolph has opened for and performed with] is really a jamband, it’s just that they’ve been getting a lot of push [label support] and he has great songs.
Are there any mainstream plans for you?
Well, I just signed with Warner Brothers. My whole goal is to introduce this style of music, hoping it will be put on the mainstream and light a fire on these record companies to push more of this type of music.
Is it going to be a studio release?
Yeah, it’ll be a studio release but it’ll still have the same fiery edge [as his live recording]. We’ll start recording in a month. We’ve got some guests in mind.
Like who?
Well, we’re trying to get Dave Matthews to play on it, Warren Haynes, Trey [Anastasio] from Phish…it should be fun.
What’s the difference between playing for your parishioners and a bunch of white kids in a club?
It’s the same, man.
Really?
[We get] The same joyful, get up and dance response everywhere we go, whether in church or not.
You did a song, an old hymn entitled “Pressing My Own Way” on your live album. I was wondering if you chose that song because of the path you’ve taken with your career.
That’s basically what it was. That was one of the first songs that came to me when I was veering away and started going out on my own. When there are hard times on the road or at home, no matter what the problems, you have to continue to press on, you know?
Speaking of the road, for someone who grew up in the sheltered House of God environment, how are you handling the temptations and life of touring?
Temptations on the road are no different than temptations at church. I make that clear to everyone. The road is no different than church.
What?
Yeah, just look at everyday life. Especially in my neighborhood. You grow up around drugs, you grow up around girls. On the road there’s tons of girls. If I were to stay at home and go to church or church conventions, there’d be girls there too. All the people that go to church aren’t good. They just go there.
It’s interesting to see a gospel artist make the transition to rock star. Life on the road and church morals just don’t mix.
I’ll tell you this, just like I told the guys in my band. Church guys get laid more than any rock ‘n’ roll star. A great church gospel singer probably gets laid more than a rock star like Mick Jagger. You’d be surprised.
I bet.
I don’t pay that stuff [rock star adoration] any mind. I’m a guy who’s been down the hard road. All I can try to do is help people stay away from certain things and paths.
Was it a tough neighborhood you grew up in?
Yeah, we had the worst high school in Jersey. Essex County. A lot of people come from this area…Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Naughty By Nature, you know.
Maybe you could do a collaboration with your fellow Essex County artists.
We’re trying to put something together with the artists from Jersey,…the Bon Jovi’s the Springsteens, the Fugees…We’re hoping to do a benefit for all the Jersey residents who died on 9/11. More people died from Jersey than New York on 9/11.
What are your major career goals?
I’d like to start a trend where it won’t be just sacred steel players and country/ western guys playing my instrument. I want to see young white kids from the suburbs playing pedal steel, Japanese kids, Jamaican kids…let it be like the piano, like the guitar. It can fit into any style of music. I’m looking into starting up a program for kids, to get them acclimated to the instrument…I want to take the instrument to the highest level of visibility possible. Where people can play it, where people can hear the sound and love it, and just enjoy it as much as I do.
