Robert Randolph and the Family Band
12-11-2014
A virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph set the music world on fire in 2000 when he began playing his first club dates in New York City. Renowned for their incendiary live shows, which marry fervent gospel tunes and an irresistible rock 'n' roll swagger, Robert Randolph & The Family Band (featuring his cousin Marcus and sister Lenesha) first gained national attention with the release of the album "Live at the Wetlands" in 2002. The band followed with three albums over the next eight years - "Unclassified," "Colorblind" and "We Walk This Road" - which, together with tireless touring and unforgettable performances at such festivals as Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, won them a passionate fan base.
Randolph tackles the pedal-steel guitar with a virtuosic ferocity, and his prowess on his instrument garnered him a spot on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list. His unmatched wah-wah slide-guitar technique has turned many heads, including those of John Medeski, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana and Dave Matthews. Clapton, who is one of Robert’s biggest fans, brought the band out on tour in 2006 and appeared on his third album, "Colorblind." In 2010, Randolph teamed-up with producer T-Bone Burnett and released the album "We Walk This Road" which featured guest appearances from Ben Harper, Leon Russell and Doyle Bramhall II. Recent years have seen Randolph burning off Hendrix covers with The Roots as comfortably as he opened for B.B. King.
Robert has evolved into a show-off in the best sense of the word. He'll play with a crowd's head by locking into "Billie Jean," twisting it into something unrecognizable, only to build it back up eight minutes later. While he largely plays sitting, there's a moment when he kicks out the chair - that's when the show starts.
"Randolph's family band is one of the most intense live acts in all of jamdom. His thirteen-string instrument has a chillingly clear tone, and his solos are dotted with howling melodies and perpetually cresting, lightning-fast explorations." - Rolling Stone/ 100 Greatest Guitarists.
“Robert Randolph is an American Original. He has mastered what is, arguably, the most complex instrument in the world and developed a unique voice that is equal parts street-corner church and Bonnaroo.” - Don Was