American musician
Greg Leisz
Birth name Gregory Brian Leisz Born (1949-09-18 ) September 18, 1949 (age 74)
Buffalo , New York, U.S.Genres
Rock ,
folk ,
country ,
pop ,
jazz ,
blues ,
acoustic Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, record producer Instrument(s)
Lap steel ,
pedal steel guitar ,
guitar ,
dobro ,
mandolin ,
banjo Years active Mid-1960s–present Member of
The Forest Rangers
Musical artist
Gregory Brian Leisz (
LEESS ;
[1] born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays
guitar ,
dobro ,
mandolin ,
banjo ,
lap steel and
pedal steel guitar .
Biography
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adding to it .
(October 2010 )
Leisz playing lap steel in Eric Clapton's band, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 2, 2013
Leisz grew up in the
garage band culture of mid-1960s
Southern California . He spent time at the
Ashgrove , the
Troubador , and clubs on the
Sunset Strip . He began playing guitar and soon added dobro and lap steel, inspired to pick up the pedal steel after hearing
Sneaky Pete Kleinow and
Buddy Emmons . In 1975, he toured with
John Stewart (formerly of
The Kingston Trio ). He was a member of Funky Kings who released their eponymous debut album on
Arista Records in 1976. After the band broke up, he became a popular musician both in the studio and on the road.
In 1987, Leisz began working with
Dave Alvin (formerly of
The Blasters ). Their collaboration led to Leisz producing several of Alvin's albums, including King of California , Black Jack David , Ashgrove , and West of the West . In 1989, he played on
k.d. lang 's Grammy-winning
Absolute Torch and Twang and joined her on the resulting tour. For the next eighteen years he toured with Lang and recorded with her, including her album
Ingenue . Starting the early 1990s, he worked often with
Matthew Sweet , played on Sweet's album
Girlfriend and toured with him.
In January 2008, Leisz joined the group
Works Progress Administration , a band composed of Leisz,
Sean Watkins (guitar), his sister
Sara Watkins (fiddle),
Glen Phillips (guitar, vocals),
Benmont Tench (piano), Luke Bulla (fiddle),
Pete Thomas (drums), and
Davey Faragher (bass). The group released their debut album, WPA , on September 15, 2009.
In 2010 and 2011, Leisz toured with
Ray LaMontagne as a member of his backing band, The Pariah Dogs. He toured in 2013 as a member of
Eric Clapton 's band, in 2015 as a member of Jackson Browne's band, and again in 2017. He appeared in the 2016
Cameron Crowe cable television series
Roadies , accompanying
Jackson Browne on three songs in the last episode of the series.
Leisz played mandolin on the mid-2021 Bob Dylan recordings of "
Blowin' in the Wind ," "
Masters of War ," "
The Times They Are A-Changin' (song) ," "
Simple Twist of Fate ," "
Gotta Serve Somebody ," and "
Not Dark Yet " produced by
T-Bone Burnett and recorded and mixed by Michael Piersante for a one-time sale as Ionic Originals.
[2]
Greg married Estonian musician
Mai Leisz in April 2018.
Awards
Leisz playing guitar with
Jackson Browne (left) in Greenville, South Carolina, 2015
In 2010, Leisz was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist by the
Americana Music Association .
In 2011 he received a
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for his contributions to Ray LaMontagne's album
God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise (2010).
[3]
Discography
As sideman
With
Ryan Adams
With
Amy Allison
Sad Girl (Diesel Only, 2001)
Sheffield Streets (Urban Myth, 2009)
With
The Bangles
With
Beck
With
Jackson Browne
With
Peter Case
With
Eric Clapton
With
Joe Cocker
With
Holly Cole
With
Paula Cole
With
A. J. Croce
With
David Crosby
With
Marshall Crenshaw
With
Shawn Colvin
With
Sheryl Crow
With
Grey DeLisle
With
Don Felder
With
John Fogerty
With
Bill Frisell
With
Amy Grant
With
Haim
With
John Wesley Harding
With
Natalie Hemby
Puxico (GetWrucke, 2017)
Pins and Needles (Fantasy, 2021)
With
Joe Henry
With
Missy Higgins
With
Mark Knopfler
With
Miranda Lambert
With
k.d. lang
With
Amos Lee
With
Charles Lloyd
With
Jim Lauderdale
With
John Mayer
With
Joni Mitchell
With
Keb' Mo'
With
The Murmurs
With
Willie Nelson
With
Aaron Neville
I Know I've Been Changed (EMI, 2010)
My True Story (Blue Note, 2012)
With
Randy Newman
With
Mark Olson
With
Judith Owen
Lost And Found (Century of Progress, 2005)
Somebody's Child (Twanky, 2016)
With
Sam Phillips
With
Chuck Prophet
Balinese Dancer (China, 1993)
Homemade Blood (Cooking Vinyl, 1997)
No Other Love (New West, 2002)
¡Let Freedom Ring! (Yep, 2009)
With
Bonnie Raitt
With
Carrie Rodriguez
With
Vonda Shepard
It's Good Eve (Vesperalley, 1996)
By 7:30 (Jacket, 1999)
From the Sun (Redeye, 2008)
With
Bruce Springsteen
With
Matthew Sweet
With
Matthew Sweet and
Susanna Hoffs
With
Shannon McNally
With
Teddy Thompson
With
Tiger Army
With
St. Vincent
With
Loudon Wainwright III
With
Rufus Wainwright
With
Gillian Welch
With
Jennifer Warnes
The Well (Virgin, 2001)
Another Time, Another Place (BMG, 2018)
With
Lucinda Williams
With
Robbie Williams
With
Victoria Williams
With
Brian Wilson
With
Wolf Bros
With others
Gregg Allman ,
Southern Blood (Rounder, 2017)
David Baerwald ,
Bedtime Stories (A&M, 1990)
Jessie Baylin , Little Spark (Blonde Rat, 2012)
Karla Bonoff , Silent Night (Not On Label, 2020)
Mose Allison ,
The Way of the World (Anti-, 2010)
Dave Alvin ,
Out in California (HighTone, 2002)
Anjani ,
Blue Alert (Columbia, 2006)
Fiona Apple ,
Tidal (Clean Slate, 1996)
Jann Arden ,
Happy (A&M Records, 1997)
Steve Azar ,
Heartbreak Town (River North, 1996)
Joan Baez ,
Whistle Down the Wind (Proper Records, 2018)
Bash & Pop ,
Friday Night Is Killing Me (Sire, 1993)
The Beach Boys ,
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (River North, 1996)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy ,
Beware (Drag City, 2009)
Mary Black ,
Shine (Dara, 1997)
Bon Jovi ,
Lost Highway (Island Records, 2007)
Chris Botti ,
Slowing Down the World (GRP, 1999)
Michelle Branch ,
Everything Comes and Goes (Reprise Records, 2010)
Phoebe Bridgers ,
Stranger in the Alps (Dead Oceans, 2017)
Jon Brion ,
Meaningless (Straight to Cut Out, 2001)
Jonatha Brooke ,
The Works (Bad Dog, 2008)
T Bone Burnett ,
Tooth of Crime (Nonesuch Records, 2008)
Brandi Carlile ,
In the Canyon Haze (Elektra Records, 2022)
Carlene Carter ,
Carter Girl (Rounder, 2014)
Tracy Chapman ,
Let It Rain (Elektra Records, 2002)
Bruce Cockburn ,
Dart to the Heart (True North, 1994)
Adam Cohen , Adam Cohen (Columbia Records, 1998)
Crowded House ,
Intriguer (
Fantasy , 2010)
Rodney Crowell ,
Sex & Gasoline (Work Song, 2008)
Velvet Crush ,
Teenage Symphonies to God (Sony, 1994)
Ilse DeLange ,
The Great Escape (Universal Music, 2006)
Brett Dennen ,
So Much More (Dualtone, 2006)
Neil Diamond ,
Melody Road (Capitol Records, 2014)
Bob Dylan ,
Shadow Kingdom (Columbia Records, 2023)
Jakob Dylan ,
Women + Country (Columbia, 2010)
Eagles ,
Long Road Out of Eden (Lost Highway, 2007)
Tim Easton , Break Your Mother's Heart (New West Records, 2003)
Kat Edmonson , The Big Picture (Sony, 2014)
Ramblin' Jack Elliott ,
A Stranger Here (ANTI, 2009)
Melissa Etheridge ,
Breakdown (Island Records, 1999)
Brandon Flowers ,
The Desired Effect (Island Records, 2015)
Julia Fordham ,
Falling Forward (Virgin Records, 1994)
Glenn Frey ,
After Hours (Universal Music, 2012)
Lisa Germano ,
Magic Neighbor (Young God, 2009)
Barry Gibb ,
In the Now (Columbia Records, 2016)
Gratitude ,
Gratitude (Atlantic Records, 2005)
Michael Grimm ,
Michael Grimm (Epic Records, 2011)
Indigo Girls ,
Despite Our Differences (Hollywood, 2006)
Ben Harper ,
Diamonds On the Inside (Virgin, 2003)
Emmylou Harris and
Linda Ronstadt ,
Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions (Asylum, 1999)
Emmylou Harris,
All I Intended to Be (Nonesuch, 2008)
Mark Heard ,
Second Hand (Fingerprint, 1991)
Beth Hart ,
Leave the Light On (Warner Bros., 2003)
Ted Hawkins ,
The Next Hundred Years (Geffen, 1994)
Highway 101 ,
Paint the Town (Warner Bros., 1989)
Taylor Hicks ,
Taylor Hicks (Arista, 2006)
Susanna Hoffs ,
Susanna Hoffs (London, 1996)
Steve Holy ,
Brand New Girlfriend (Curb, 2006)
Court Yard Hounds ,
Court Yard Hounds (Columbia, 2010)
Jesca Hoop , Memories Are Now (Sub Pop, 2016)
Niall Horan ,
Flicker (Capitol Records, 2017)
James Iha ,
Let It Come Down (Virgin, 1998)
Bon Iver ,
Bon Iver, Bon Iver (Jagjauwar, 2011)
Jayhawks ,
Tomorrow the Green Grass (American, 1995)
Courtney Jaye , Love and Forgiveness (Not On Label, 2013)
Jorma Kaukonen ,
Stars in My Crown (
Red House , 2007)
Funky Kings, Funky Kings (Arista Records, 1976)
Dave Koz ,
Off the Beaten Path (Capitol, 1996)
Alison Krauss ,
Windy City (Capitol, 2017)
Ray LaMontagne ,
God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise (RCA Records, 2010)
Hugh Laurie ,
Didn't It Rain (Warner Bros. Records, 2013)
Hamilton Leithauser +
Rostam ,
I Had a Dream That You Were Mine (Glassnote Records, 2016)
Jenny Lewis ,
Joy'All (Blue Note, 2023)
Lori Lieberman , Monterey (Drive On, 2003)
The Manhattan Transfer ,
The Spirit of St. Louis (Atlantic, 2000)
Dayna Manning , Shades (EMI Canada, 2002)
Brian McKnight ,
Back at One (Motown, 1999)
Christy McWilson , The Lucky One (HighTone, 2000)
Natalie Merchant ,
Motherland (Elektra, 2001)
Tift Merritt , See You on the Moon (Fantasy, 2010)
Ramsay Midwood , Popular Delusions & The Madness of Cows (Farmwire, 2006)
Gaby Moreno , Alegoría (Metamorfosis, 2022)
Geoff Muldaur , Password (HighTone, 2000)
Anne Murray ,
Anne Murray (EMI, 1996)
Meshell Ndegeocello ,
Bitter (Maverick, 1999)
Nick 13 ,
Nick 13 (Sugar Hill, 2011)
Stevie Nicks ,
In Your Dreams (Reprise, 2011)
Peter Ostroushko ,
Coming Down from Red Lodge (Red House, 2003)
Richard Page , Peculiar Life (Little Dume, 2010)
Madeleine Peyroux ,
Half the Perfect World (Rounder, 2006)
Grant Lee Phillips ,
Virginia Creeper (
Zoë , 2004)
Rebecca Pidgeon ,
Behind the Velvet Curtain: Songs from the Motion Picture Redbelt (Great American Music, 2008)
Robert Plant and
Alison Krauss ,
Raising Sand (Rounder, 2007)
Lisa Marie Presley ,
Storm & Grace (Universal Republic, 2012)
Tristan Prettyman ,
Cedar + Gold (Capitol, 2012)
Daft Punk ,
Random Access Memories (Columbia, 2013)
Joshua Radin ,
Simple Times (Mom + Pop, 2008)
Ronna Reeves , After the Dance (River, 1995)
Lana Del Rey ,
Blue Banisters (Polydor, 2021)
Roxette ,
Tourism (EMI, 1992)
Rumer , This Girl's in Love (A Bacharach & David Songbook) (East West, 2016)
Leon Russell ,
Life Journey (Universal, 2014)
Katey Sagal , Covered (eOne, 2013)
Adam Sandler ,
What's Your Name? (Warner Bros., 1997)
Timothy B. Schmit ,
Expando (Lost Highway, 2009)
Avenged Sevenfold ,
Avenged Sevenfold (Warner Bros., 2007)
Shivaree ,
I Oughtta Give You a Shot in the Head for Making Me Live in This Dump (Capitol, 1999)
Michelle Shocked , Got No Strings (Mighty Sound, 2005)
Ron Sexsmith ,
Forever Endeavour (Cooking Vinyl, 2013)
Kevin Sharp ,
Measure of a Man (Asylum Records, 1996)
Chris Shiflett ,
Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants (RCA Records, 2010)
The Smashing Pumpkins ,
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Virgin, 1995)
Jill Sobule , Dottie's Charms (Pinko, 2014)
Ringo Starr ,
Give More Love (Universal Music Enterprises, 2017)
Rod Stewart ,
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time (J, 2006)
Curtis Stigers , Brighter Days (Columbia Records, 1999)
Chris Stills , Don't Be Afraid (Rupture Records, 2018)
Randy Stonehill ,
Return to Paradise (Myrrh, 1989)
Syd Straw , Surprise (Virgin, 1989)
Peter Stuart ,
Propeller (Vanguard, 2002)
Natalie D-Napoleon ,
Leaving Me Dry (Household Ink, 2012)
Toad the Wet Sprocket ,
New Constellation (Abe's Records, 2013)
Jack Tempchin and Richard Stekol, Live on Highway 101 (Night River, 2002)
Pam Tillis ,
Sweetheart's Dance (Arista, 1994)
Allen Toussaint , American Tunes (Nonesuch, 2016)
Tremoloco ,
Dulcinea (Casa Julia, 2008)
Shania Twain ,
Now (Mercury Nashville, 2017)
Suzie Vinnick , Happy Here (self-released, 2008)
Joe Walsh ,
Analog Man (Fantasy, 2012)
Was (Not Was) ,
Boo! (Rykodisc, 2008)
Sara Watkins ,
Sara Watkins (Nonesuch, 2009)
Watkins Family Hour , Watkins Family Hour (Family Hour, 2015)
Paul Westerberg ,
Suicaine Gratifaction (Capitol, 1999)
Whiskeytown ,
Stranger's Almanac (Geffen, 1997)
Wilco ,
Being There (Reprise, 1996)
The Williams Brothers , Harmony Hotel (Warner Bros., 1993)
Kelly Willis , Translated from Love (Rykodisc, 2007)
Dan Wilson , Love Without Fear (Ballroom, 2014)
The Wilsons,
The Wilsons (Polygram, 1997)
Lee Ann Womack ,
Something Worth Leaving Behind (MCA Nashville, 2002)
Lizz Wright ,
Dreaming Wide Awake (Verve, 2005)
Dwight Yoakam ,
Hillbilly Deluxe (Reprise, 1987)
V.A.,
A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC (Thirsty Ear Recordings, 1995)
V.A.,
Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1–4 (Columbia, 2011)
V.A.,
Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 2 (Columbia, 2012)
V.A.,
We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash (Legacy, 2012)
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Greg Leisz .
International National Artists