Luke Bergman: Solo Pedal Steel Guitar

With the floating—and often melancholic—sound of the pedal steel guitar, Luke Bergman tells stories that find a unique acoustic space during his Leipzig debut in the nocturnal atmosphere of St. Thomas Church.

“It’s my singing voice,” the legendary musician and producer Daniel Lanois once said about the pedal steel guitar. A metaphor, of course. Yet at the same time, it’s far more than that—this stringed instrument, which revolutionized American country music a good 100 years ago, can indeed be made to sing with its characteristic vibrato and flowing transitions between notes. 

No one knows this better than Luke Bergman: Many people know the American multi-instrumentalist for his work as a bassist, for example in the Bill Frisell Trio. However, as he never tires of emphasizing, he sees the pedal steel as his primary voice. With its ethereal—and often melancholic—sound, he is able to tell stories that, during his Leipzig debut in the nocturnal atmosphere of St. Thomas Church, find a uniquely resonant space.

Bergmann’s playful finesse can be heard, for example, on his most recent trio album, recorded with Jason Burger and Martin Nevin. Despite the music’s melodic accessibility, he never resorts to overly predictable sounds. Instead, he repeatedly incorporates harmonic twists that continue to amaze even upon repeated listening.

Bergmann’s musical openness is particularly evident in pieces like “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” or “Reflections in D”: Here, the rhythmic complexity of jazz blends with the melodic simplicity of popular Americana music. Yet the harmonic diversity of experimental music also shines through in his playing time and again. In this way, he proves himself to be the personification ofa melting pot ofmodern 20th-century American sounds.

(Luca Glenzer)