From Seattle writer and consultant Matt Rosenberg...: Get Blessed by Sacred Steel

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Get Blessed by Sacred Steel

March 03, 2004

You do NOT, I mean NOT, want to miss this exceptional gospel-rock-blues experience tommorow night at one of Seattle's coolest music venues for grown-ups, The Tractor Tavern. I'll just let my man Dan Tyack tell it:

Steel guitarist Darick Campbell, of the acclaimed gospel group The Campbell Brothers, will perform in his first Seattle appearance at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard on Thursday March 4th, starting at 8:00 pm. He will be accompanied by Seattle’s own Unsanctified Gospel Revival.
Darick Campbell is the youngest brother in the award winning group the Campbell Brothers. The Campbell Brothers are the foremost practitioners in the Sacred Steel tradition: rockin’ African-American gospel music featuring the pedal and lap steel guitar. The Campbell Brothers have recorded 6 albums on the Arhoolie and Rope-A-Dope labels and have taken their music everywhere from the Hollywood Bowl, to the Kennedy Center, to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, to the Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco. Darick has amazed audiences all over the world with his emotionally powerful lap steel playing, and is excited about bringing his music to Seattle for the first time.

The Unsanctified Gospel Revival is a collection of phenomenal Seattle musicians from varied backgrounds. It was founded by steel guitarist Dan Tyack, a musician with a background which ranges from playing the Grand Old Opry to Carnegie Hall with artists such as Asleep at the Wheel and Vince Gill. Dan has recorded and toured with the Campbell Brothers, and formed the Unsanctified Gospel Revival to bring the Sacred Steel musical message to the Northwest. For this concert, the band includes local legend Orville Johnson on slide guitar, members of Skerik’s Crack Sabbath (Mike Stone on drums and Ron Weinstein on B3), and Maktub guitarist Thaddeous Turner.

Modern pedal steel guitar music is a refreshing change from grunge, pop, emo, folk, country, straight-ahead blues, and any other style you can name. Often drawing heavily from Pentecostal Praise music which employs lap steel- or pedal steel-led combos, it is reaching a growing audience. Darick Campbell IS great; I've got a Campbell Brothers CD and they absolutely wail. THIS is soul music, OK? If you're reading Rosenblog in Puget Sound, come on down to The Tractor Thursday night, and party.

Here's the Tractor Tavern's site, with address, phone number, and a link to buy tickets online (scroll down a ways). You can also take your chances and buy tix at the door, if they're not at capacity: cash or check only. For more background: Campbell Brothers site; Tyack's, and a 2000 Seattle Times piece I did on Tyack.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at March 3, 2004 09:37 AM

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Comments:

Matt,

I LOVE such music. But I will be at a music practice that night from 7 to 9! I see a Campbell brothers CD in your list on this page. Do you have a choice for Unsanctified Gospel Revival?

Ron

Posted by: Ron at March 3, 2004 02:31 PM

Ron, nice to know there are some other folks out there into this music. A few suggestions re your inquiry on getting recorded sounds by Dan Tyack and his newest group, Unsanctified Gospel Revival. They have no CD out just yet, BUT at www.tyack.com are several audio files you can pull up: three songs from one of their live performances, and Dan doing John Coltrane's "Naima" on pedal steel, in his basement. THEN, and I highly recommend this - is Dan's '99 CD "Blackened Toast," which I have just added to my amazon.com CD buy links at Rosenblog. It's at the bottom of the CDs, along with another great choice I just added, "Stratosphere Boogie." That last one is by 50s country swing/jazz pedal-steel monster Speedy West, who's accompanied by a guitarist with jaw-dropping technique named Jimmy Bryant.

About the "Blackened Toast CD. It's not exactly Sacred Steel, but boy, it's good. A mix of New Orleans r&b, blues, rock, jazz and country. Killer band, including: guest steeler Paul Franklin, who has recorded with Dire Straits; local hotshot guitarist and bandleader Rod Cook of Des Moines; and stellar bassist Keith Lowe (who has played with noted Seattle/global jazzbo Wayne Horvitz and many, many more).

Posted by: Matt Rosenberg at March 3, 2004 04:06 PM

Thanks for yet another musical tip, Matt. I'm heading to Amazon now to add a couple CDs to my wishlist. Speaking of wishes, I wish I were in town to catch the show!

Posted by: Scott at March 3, 2004 06:38 PM

Heya to an old Seattle-ite now working in China...who would like to be at The Tractor tommorow! Wish you COULD be there, Scott! Anyway, I hope to post a review not too long after. In meantime, send word on any cool Chinese acts you encounter...if such are extant.

Posted by: Matt Rosenberg at March 3, 2004 08:08 PM

The Unsanctified Gospel Revival CD is out! Check it out at www.tyack.com.

Posted by: Dan Tyack at June 17, 2004 07:21 AM

I am a big fan of the sacred steel movement, we love the Campbell Brothers,Calvin Cooke, Lee Brothers,Robert Randolph and the list goes on.

My group is called the Amazing Grace Praise Band and we also play a version of sacred steel guitar music. Check out our web site www.sacredstrings.com.

Posted by: Del Grace at June 20, 2004 06:51 PM

It's out!

(I mean the unsanctified gospel revival CD).

You can buy right now at CDBaby, or come to the CD release party on Wednesday July 28th, at LoFi in Seattle. Also check out this week's Seattle Weekly (there is word of a cover story on this music).

Posted by: Dan Tyack at July 17, 2004 09:39 PM

The Unsanctified Gospel Revival CD is out! CD release party is Weds. July 28th at lo_fi on Eastlake, between REI and the Mars Bar. SHow time is 9:00, with cover $6. Check out the cover story in the Seattle weekly (the July 21st edition).

Posted by: Dan Tyack at July 23, 2004 08:58 AM

Congrats, Dan! Great story in The Weekly, too. Just read it last night.

Posted by: Matt R. at July 23, 2004 10:12 AM

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