411mania.com: Music - Jam Central Station 11.07.09: Robert Randolph and the Family Band

411mania.com: Music - Jam Central Station 11.07.09: Robert Randolph and the Family Band:

"Steel guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph and his Family Band's rise to prominence didn't come from the typical schedule of incessant recording and touring that most jam bands follow. Robert Randolph, for all of his talent, wasn't even aware of guitar greats like Buddy Guy or Muddy Waters as a teenager. His entire musical knowledge came from his church, a House of God church in New Jersey. Raised as the son of both a minister and a deacon, most of Randolph's early life was spent in the church. However, for Randolph, church music didn't mean organs and old ladies in the choir. Although it's a small denomination, the House of God churches had a musical tradition for Randolph to latch onto, a tradition known as Sacred Steel.

The pedal steel guitar, which is the lynchpin of Sacred Steel music, rose to prominence in House of God churches in the 30's. The black Pentecostal churches of this time couldn't afford costly organs, and the pedal steel guitar was introduced as a replacement instrument. While the instrument itself had been used primarily in Hawaiian and country music, the way that the House of God churches used it bore little resemblance to those other traditions. The energy that this instrument produced was much closer to the high-energy services of the Pentecostal churches, and was quickly accepted as part of their worship. This type of music seldom left the church, however. True to the name 'Sacred Steel,' church elders believed that the only appropriate place for this sacred music was in the church. Those who didn't frown on playing the music outside of the church still believed that the primary purpose for the music should be evangelism. Few recordings were made of Sacred Steel playing, and only a handful of practitioners played outside of church events.

Sacred Steel was 'discovered' in 1992 by Florida musicologist Robert Stone. He began recording the music in the churches. In 1995, he put out the first widely released recording of Sacred Steel music, Sacred Steel: Traditional Sacred African-American Steel Guitar Music in Florida. Stone's recordings of Sacred Steel music struck a chord not only with lovers of gospel and church music, but many guitar music aficionados across the globe.

About the time Stone was 'discovering' Sacred Steel music, a Robert Randolph was growing up in urban New Jersey. Randolph didn't just grow up in the church; he also grew up on the streets. He often skipped school and he dealt drugs for a short time. He maintained his relationship with his church, however, and began drumming in the youth choir. The shooting death of a close friend that brought Randolph seriously back into the church, and he left behind the street side of his life for good. He was given a steel guitar, and, at 17, he began playing in earnest. It was at this time that a friend gave him a Stevie Ray Vaughn tape." Sphere: Related Content